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HOW AND WHY 



I BECAME 



J^ SPIRITUA.i:.IST, 



WASH. A. DANSKIN, 

B ALTIMOEE. 



xt 




|J8^6^^ 



BOSTON-: 

BELA MARSH, 14 BROM FIELD STREET, 

NEW YORK: 

S. T. MUNSON, 5 GREAT JONES STREET, 

1858. 



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Entered according to the Act of Congress, in the year 1858, 

By Wash. A . D a n s k i n , 

In the Clerk's Office of the District Court of Maryland. 






INTKODUCTION. 

Three and a half jears have passed away since I commenced 
the investigation of that which is now called Spiritualism. 

The phenomena presented for my observation were clearly 
supra-mundane ; were evidently produced by invisible, intelli- 
gent agents ; and, not fearing to express my convictions, 
because they were unpopular, I, after careful scrutiny, an- 
nounced my belief, that the spirits of men and women 

WHO ONCE DWELT ON EARTH COULD, AND DID, COMMUNE 

WITH MORTALS. This fact appeared to me to be the most 
important one which had ever been given to man. If immor- 
tality is man's destiny, surely, the knowledge of that life which 
is eternal far transcends in value any mere earthly and, con- 
sequently, transitory acquirement, 

The theological ideas presented in the following pages are 
not the elaborations of my own brain. I have been but little 
more than the amanuensis. Two friends, who have long been 
dwellers in the land of light and love, passed the thoughts to 
my mind ; I clothed them with the drapery of language, and 
transcribed them upon the paper. Such is the extent of my 
participation in the production of this volume. 

This explanation is offered, not from a desire to lessen any 
responsibility which may attach to the promulgation of those 
ideas, but simply, because I deem it improper to claim that 
which is not my own. 

WASH. A. DANSKIN. 

Baltimoee, June 1st, 1858. 



lafo Mir SE^g I ktmt a SptritualiBt. 



CHAPTEK I. 

' ' Elaborate are the workings of the Divine." Effects 
unanticipated are constantly springing forth from causes 
unseen. Man, finite in his nature, comprehends not 
the operations of the G-reat Infinite Mind, hut in his 
efforts to penetrate the future, finds the limit of his 
capacity so small, that he falls back in despair upon 
the present and the past. He cannot even trace with 
precision the lines which mark his own checkered ca- 
reer. Starting in youth with the fires of ambition 
glowing within the inner temple of his soul, illuminat- 
ing his path to deeds of greatness, which shall cover 
his manhood with renown, how soon the dense atmo- 
sphere of worldly strife deadens the brilliancy of the 
flame, and he finds himself groping through the wind- 
ing avenues of selfish cupidity, instead of standing 
erect upon the lofty eminence which was the aim of 
his unsullied spirit. 



6 

Thus was I led, from boyhood's early days, through 
many pleasant paths, looking forward with eager eyes 
to the hour when, in the strength of manhood, my 
mental and physical energies should be devoted to the 
elevation of my fellows. How often, in the visions of 
childhood have the achievements of maturity been so 
vividly presented to my mind, that the heart swelled 
with emotions of gratitude to Him Who had opened so 
broad a field of mental labor, where such rich harvests 
could be gathered? But, alas! how changed the 
dream. As the passions of youth lit up their fires 
in the soul, and the desire for wealth crept stealthily 
into the channels of the mind, which had been dedi- 
cated to deeds of high emprise, the purer light was 
dimmed in the vapors of selfish desire, and the spirit 
wandered amid the tangled mazes of the sensuous 
existence. 

No bright and glowing thoughts descending now 
from the realms of purity and love : no sweet flowers 
of affection giving forth delicious perfumes to fill the 
soul with delight ; no bright visions of future glory to 
cheer the the dull hours of toil; but all a dreary void, 
a dull waste, without a tree or flower, a murmuring 
stream or warbling bird, to enliven its barren soil, life 
seemed purposeless, worthless. The most unbounded 
success in any mere worldly pursuit, but proved the 



inability of such attainment to satisfy the interior 
longings of the immortal spirit. The attempt to 
gratify the earthly desires but led to the ajDpearance 
of enjoyment — the reality had lied. The mind once 
concentrated upon the duties of the domestic or social 
relations, now became listless and inactive : or strayed 
into forbidden paths seeking that excitement which it 
seemed to need. The mind that had heretofore ex- 
hibited so much of steadiness and calm composure in its 
pursuits, now became restless, uneasy, and dissatisfied. 
The accomplishment of its purpose produced not the 
anticipated enjoyment ; the reverse was the fact. The 
more ardently an object was desired, the more unsat- 
isfactory it appeared when obtained. 

There was an intense longing for knowledge of the 
superior, or after-life, which found no satisfactory re- 
sponse in the teachings of the sectarian church. 

The crude ideas which were advanced with so much 
dogmatic confidence from the pulpit, were deficient in 
their power to illustrate the character of the Wise and 
Loving Father. The thought that G-od had created a 
Being or principle of Evil which was forever to dispute 
with Him the dominion of His own most glorious work ; 
which was forever to mingle his poisonous breath with 
the atmosphere that surrounds the children of earth ; 
which was to draw within his influence and consign to 



8 

endless and infernal torture the most exalted creation 
of tlie G-reat Father's hand, was to my mind repug- 
nant. Enshrined, as it was, in all the sacred mystery 
of the past, enforced by all the fiery eloquence of the 
most fervid apostles of this diabolical theory, still, my 
reason revolted at the reception of so foul a represen- 
tation of the action of Deity, and thus I felt a want, a 
pressing need of some purer light, by which to inves- 
tigate the arcana of the celestial world. 

The disappointed spirit then cast its longing eyes 
beyond the boundaries of this circumscribed sphere for 
visions of another life. 

Man, as the mere denizen of earth, was too imper- 
fect a work to emanate from the Grreat Source of wis- 
dom and love, therefore, it seemed to me that in the 
vast domain which is the dwelling-place of the Father, 
the immortal spirit, freed from the trammels of the 
sensuous life, must unfold nobler powers and more 
comprehensive capacities, than are displayed in this 
rudimental condition. 

Man, in the earth-form, struggling and striving to 
secure that which he cannot consume ; grasping with 
the sinewy fingers of avarice that which would give 
comfort to the hungry, rest to the weary, and relief to 
the oppressed ; gathering with avidity the fruits of 
others' toil ; drawing within his control and thereby 



depriving his brother, of the bounteous harvests vrhiuh 
the Father bestows upon all His children. Man, in 
this phase of his existence, was not, in mj view, the, 
perfect work, the crowning glory of a master-mind ; 
but, rather a tantalizing burlesque, an abortive effort 
to produce a noble structure which had resulted in 
hopeless failure on the part of the Grreat Designer of 
the Universe. But when I looked upon man as the 
eternally progressive child of G-od, I could then per- 
ceive a creation worthy of the dreat Author of life. 

The germ of the flower when only partially unfolded 
does not display the artistic power of Him Whose 
breath adds perfume to its beauty ; but when the 
growth is complete, and the beauteous but fragile 
structure appears in all its glory, then the wisdom of 
the Creator is seen. So with man. While in the 
rudimental state he displays not the wondrous powers 
and faculties with which the Father has endowed him ; 
but when, in his progressive unfoldment through the 
eternal ages, he throws off. the dull habiliments of the 
lower life and appears clothed in robes of light and 
love, then is seen the harmonious workings of the 
Divine Spirit ; then the master-piece of His wisdom is 
comprehended, and the doubts of the past disappear in 
the perceptions of the present and the glowing visions 
of the future. The spirit of man is the germ of the 



10 

angel, the affections of the heart, the powers of the 
mind in their earth-bondage are like the leaves of the 
bud when enclosed in the outer covering which sur- 
rounds them ; but when the heavenly dew of love and 
the bright sunshine of wisdom descend from on high 
then they burst from their confinement and bloom 
forth in beauty, shedding sweet fragrance on the sur- 
rounding atmosphere. 

Thus, when the first announcement that the spirits 
of the departed, the dwellers in the home of purity 
and peace, had opened channels of communication 
with the mortals of earth, met my sight, I was not, as 
some were, struck dumb with amazement, or betrayed 
into denunciation or ridicule of those who received the 
statement as truth ; for, to my mind, it seemed the 
much needed link in the chain of the Divine economy. 
When invited, in a spirit of levity, by one who was to 
some extent familiar with the physical manifestations, 
to unite in ' ' Circle " for the purpose of observing 
those phenomena I declined, alleging, as my rea- 
son for so doing, that Spii'it-intercoujse, whether 
true or false, was not, could not be, to any rightly 
constituted miad, a suitable subject for jest. If 
true, and the spirits of our dear friends who had 
been separated from us by death, were permitted 
to join us again in this lower sphere, jesting or 



11 

levity would surely be inappropriate at such a meet- 
ing. If untrue, and the claim that spirits could min- 
gle their thoughts with ours was a fraud or a delusion, 
it was then too serious an evil to approach in a merry 
mood. I therefore declined the invitation that had 
been tendered in kindness, though in manner not 
suited to my feelings. Subsequent conversations led 
apparently to a better or more appropriate condition 
of mind on the part of my friend, and eventually, a 
" Circle" was formed. We were but four in number, 
the lady, who first proposed our sitting, her husband, 
Mrs. Danskin and myself. 

Soon we discovered that one of our number was sus- 
ceptible to impressions from the spirit world, or, in 
other words, that he possessed the suitable mental and 
physical organism to constitute him a "Medium." 
Through the magnetism emanating from this person, 
vibrations or tippings of the table were produced, and 
while one of us would repeat the alphabet slowly, the 
communicating spirit would move the table at the 
appropriate letters, which, being recorded would be 
found to form words and sentences, perfect in their 
construction, and conveying to us the thoughts or 
wishes of the inhabitants of another sphere. This 
was the mode in which I received my first messages 
of love from the unseen world. In a short time there- 



12 

after we procured an instrument, intended to facilitate 
tlie reception of thought, or rather, the expression of 
it, through the medium. This was the "Dial," a 
simple yet ingenious piece of mechanism, constructed 
in accordance with directions from the spirit land, 
with dish, on which were printed the letters of the 
alphabet, and index, which, revolving in obedience to 
the movement of the table, pointed out such letters as 
would form the sentence which the communicating 
spirit designed to impart. This acquisition dispelled 
much of the tedium and monotony of our previous sit- 
tings, and with increasing interest, our little party 
pursued its investigation of the spiritual phenomena. 
Ere long, sufficient control was obtained by our 
spirit friends over the medium to enable them to 
give correct replies to mental questions and speak 
of things heretofore unknown either to him or our- 
selves. 

The pioneer in our movement, she who had led us 
all into the investigation, was an earnest and devout 
adherent of the Roman Catholic Church. Believing 
in the Divine origin of her faith, and the infallibility 
of its expounders, she was not prepared to cast aside 
the impressions of her childhood, and the convictions 
of her maturer years, and receive in their stead the 
teachings which were given in this novel and startling 



13 

manner, tliougli they did purport to come from tlie 
spirits of her own dear friends. 

To her mind it appeared, that a communication 
really emanating from the world of spirits would not 
be given to man, by an instrumentality apparently so 
simple as the mere movement of a table. The means 
seemed inadequate to the end. To her, the thought 
was just as absurd and impossible of belief, as in the 
days of old, it was for the High Priests and people 
of the Hebrew nation, to acknowledge as their King 
and Saviour, the son of an humble carpenter; or to 
receive as truth the inspired words which fell from the 
lips of illiterate fishermen. 

Consulting with her spiritual adviser, he instructed 
her to abiindon at once all connection with the " Cir- 
cle," and especially enjoined upon her to prevent her 
children from being drawn within an influence, which 
was only and altogether evil, and which emanated 
directly from his sable majesty, the terrific monarch of 
the infernal regions. Her husband, our "medium," 
was not so closely bound by the authority of the 
church, but in compliance with the wishes of his 
domestic partner, he withdrew from the fui'ther inves- 
tigation of the subject, and thus, at the expiration of 
some three or fom^ weeks, our spiritual communings- 

wefe abruptly brought to a close. 
2 



14 

No one, unless subjected to a similar disappoint- 
ment, can conceive of the unhappiness which then 
filled my soul. It seemed as though the dark curtain 
which had so long closed from my vision the glowing 
beauties of the home beyond the skies, had been 
raised for an instant, and the previous gloom been 
rendered more profound, by the momentary radiance 
which had met my longing sight. 

Dwelling with painful tenacity upon this unpleasant 
view of the matter, and feeling as though all hope of 
renewing our intercourse with the denizens of higher 
spheres was lost, I became sad, gloomy, irascible. 
I felt, that he who could thus cast aside the 
heavenly boon of mediumship, was unworthy of 
the gift ; I wondered why one, so vacillating and 
unsteady of purpose, should have been so richly 
endowed. 

Thus feeling and thinking, as I sat alone one after- 
noon at the table, with paper and pencil before me, I 
earnestly prayed that some avenue might be opened 
through which I could satisfy the deeply cherished 
wish of my heart. Suddenly, I felt an irresistible 
impulse to, and did write the following words: "-Rest' 
satisfied ; — you witt soon meet loith one who is reliable 
and. true " 

Strange as this appeared to me, emanating, as I 



15 

supposed it must, from my own mental organism, yet, 
it calmed the tumult of my soul. 

Had an Angel of Light appeared and assured me 
of the realization of my wish, I could not have felt 
more entirely satisfied, that the promise would be 
fulfilled. The clouds had suddenly disappeared, the 
sun once more cast his efiulgence round about me, 
and all nature, so lately shrouded in gloom, now wore 
the bright mantle of the genial spring time. 

A day had passed, another nearly waned, and still 
no prospect of the promised blessing. My confidence 
was nevertheless undiminished. T felt assured that 
my ardent desire was about to be gratified. The 
sequel proved that I had not been deceived. 

Late in the afternoon of the second day, we received 
the welcome information, that a youthful "medium," 
the daughter of a member of the Society of Friends, 
had learned of our interest in the subject, and had 
proffered her aid to re-establish our interrupted com- 
munion with our spirit friends. 



16 



CHAPTEK II. 

On tlie following eve we made our first visit to tte 
kind family, with whom we afterward passed many 
pleasant hours, and who, by their cheerful manner 
and genial welcome on this occasion, soon made us 
feel at home within their domestic circle. 

The young lady who was usually controlled by the 
spirits as an impressional loriting medium, was still 
pursuing her studies at one of our Female Collegiate 
Institutions, and had been deterred from the prosecu- 
tion of her investigations, by the ridicule of her com- 
panions and the denunciations of her preceptors. 
Being young and sensitive, this estimable girl had 
been diverted from the beautiful path which leads to 
truth and wisdom^ by the jeers and scoffs of those loho 
knew not loliat tliey did. Consequently, for some 
months previous to the date of which I now write, she 
had, in a great degree^ abstained from intercourse 
with the denizens of the spirit home. But hearing 



17 

how deeply I was interested in the subject, she had 
kindly proffered, through our mutual friend, to afford 
us an opportunity to resume our investigations. 

During the first evening that we passed with our 
newly found friend, the manifestations were princi- 
pally of a physical or mechanical character. The 
medium, my wife and myself were seated around a 
small table made of hard wood, weighing, I judge, 
some twelve or fifteen pounds. Assembled within, 
and seated around the room, were the father, mother 
and sister of the medium, my mother and the mother 
and sister of my wife, making nine of us. After 
sitting a few moments in quiet, there came gentle 
sounds, such as would be produced by the leather 
covered hammer of a piano striking against a solid 
substance. Rap after rap was heard on different 
portions of the table; sometimes in the centre, then 
directly under our hands, then running as it were 
across. After this had continued some time, the 
table rose a short distance and turned completely 
over, the top of it resting upon the floor : presently, 
it rose again some two feet in the air, and passing 
across the room approached a larger table upon which 
vases, musical instruments, books, and nick-nacks of 
various sorts were lying. This movement seemed to 

indicate a desire on the part of the spirit, that we 
2* 



18 

should remove some article among the many upon the 
table. I, therefore, selected one and another until 
nearly all had been named, without having found the 
right one, when, finally, I took up the card-receiver, 
and the movement of the table seemed to indicate 
great pleasure on the part of the Spirit, at my having 
discovered the desired object. Wondering what 
could be meant by this singularly expressed wish, I 
laid the basket upon the table, and immediately it 
moved to the other side of the parlor, and striking 
against the door with considerable force, plainly 
showed the desire to pass into the hall beyond. The 
door was opened, and approaching a secretary which 
stood within the hall, the table again rose several 
Feet and struck gently against one of the smaller 
drawers. As yet, we had no idea of what could be 
intended by this very curious manifestation, but it 
was soon explained by the sister of the medium, who 
exclaimed, "I know what is wanted; I removed to- 
day from the card-receiver a note of invitation to the 
funeral of William Eidgaway, fearing that the sight 
of it might cause pain to his mother and sisters, who 
were to spend the evening with us." The mysteri- 
ous movement was now understood. The note was 
taken from the drawer, placed again in the basket, 
and^ by swinging and rocking the table in the air. 



19 

the Spirit seemed to express satisfaction at having 
been able to convey to ns its thought. 

Ketui'ning to the parlor, the table approached the 
mother of the deceased and gave signs of joy, such 
as can scarcely be conceived of by those who have 
not witnessed such manifestations. The legs of the 
table were laid upon the shoulders as if with the 
desire to embrace her ; the under side of the table 
top was pressed against her lips, and other movements 
indicative of great pleasure, were made while the 
table remained in proximity to one so much beloved 
by the communicating Spirit. Passing from the 
mother the sisters were approached, and a lesser 
degree of affection was manifested ; then^ others who 
were present received, as it were, a hearty shake of 
the hand. Some half hour or more had been passed 
in this manner, when the table approached one of the 
young ladies and with the extremity of one of the legs 
touched her gently upon the lip. I supposed it to be 
the expression of a wish that she should sing, and so 
remarked, urging compliance on the part of our 
friend with the request so delicately made, but she 
begged to be excused, saying, that although she 
sometimes sang when alone, she did not feel equal to 
the effort before others. The intelligence controlling 
the movements of the table seemed unsatisfied with 



20 

this apology, and repeated some five or six times, 
with mucli rapidity, the gentle touch upon the lip; 
insisting, as it were, upon the gratification of his 
desire. Refusing no longer^ the young lady sang 
very sweetly, some simple melody, while the table 
waved hack and forth through the air, keeping time 
with the music. After this a desire for a tune on the 
accordeon was indicated in like manner, and given 
with similar accompaniment; the table was then 
elevated until it reached nearly to the ceiling, — the 
end of one leg was used to write the names of 
deceased persons upon the wall, and various other 
manifestations were given, alike in character, but 
varying in detail. 

I desire it to be understood, that during all these 
manifestations through the table, the hands of the 
medium, my wife, and myself were in contact with it, 
but, at no time, in such position as would have 
enabled either one or all of us to control its movement. 

After the physical manifestations had ceased we 
seated ourselves again at the table, the hand of the 
young medium was controlled and a communication 
written, purporting to come from the Spirit of Mr. 
Ridgaway, the same who had been with us all the 
evening. If the previous manifestations had been 
surprising, this was not less so, for the chirography 



21 

corresponded witli his, and tlie signature was almost 
a fac-simile of that whicli I had so often seen him 
write. 

To me, this manifestation was the more satisfac- 
tory, from the fact that Mr. Eidgaway's writing when 
he dwelt upon the earth was almost illegible. Few 
could read it with facility ; indeed^ I knew of no one 
but myself who could readily decipher his hastily 
penned paragraphs. The idea, that this young lady 
was capable even had she been willing to practise an 
impostui'e, of imitating such writing, was preposter- 
ous, and not to be for a moment entertained. In 
what manner then, could T account, under any other 
than the spiritual hypothesis, for this written commu- 
nication pui-porting to be the veritable thoughts of 
my departed friend, conveyed throngh the instrumen- 
tality of another hand? 

This interview with our spirit friends was exceed- 
ingly gratifying, and led to many subsequent meetings 
at the home of the pleasant family, where our first 
reliable communications from the world of light had 
been received. 

A "Circle" was now formed comprising usually the' 
medium, my wife and myself; occasionally we would 
be joined by one or other of the family. A shower 
of raps or sounds would greet us upon gathering 



22 

around the table, thereby, indicating the presence of 
our unseen friends. Sometimes, we would question 
them and receive negative or affirmative replies to our 
queries by means of the raps ; one rap or sound being 
understood to be negative, while for the affirmative 
three were given. 

The hand of the medium would then be controlled 
by the spirit of my wife's sister, who had passed from 
earth some ten years before, and messages of love 
and admonition would be written for us. These com- 
munications contained advice and directions concern- 
ing our own development as mediums, which was 
foretold by this kind spirit-sister, who, in union with 
'others that were bound to us by the ties of kindred 
and affection, would descend from her bright abode 
and cast around us the gentle and soothing influences, 
which emanate from the realms of purity and bliss. 

No one, who has not undergone this process of 
spiritual unfolding, can have the slightest conception 
of the delightful, calm and deep felt serenity, that 
gradually o'erspread the soul as the influences of the 
spirit-home gathered strength within. 

The trials, the disappointments, the petty annoy- 
ances of the earth-life seemed to lose their power to 
ruffle or disturb the mind. Dwelling in a region 
above, we felt not the agitation of the waves beneath. 



23 

but grew strong in reliance upon Him, Whose iove 
and wisdom were thus brought so clearly before our 
mental vision . 

The world, which before had seemed so confused 
and unfinished a production, now stood forth in 
symmetry and beauty, wearing in every feature the im- 
press of the master-hand that had moulded it into 
form. The gloomy doubts of the past now disappeared, 
the consistency, the beauty and the harmony of what 
had before seemed so antagonistic, was made apparent 
to my mind, and with more expanded views of the 
Creator's work, my feelings rose in love and adoration 
to the G-reat Source from which it sprang. 

Dwelling, as I had heretofore, in the world of 
externals, I now passed gradually into the interior life ; 
examining minutely and with growing interes't and 
pleasure, the principles which underlie the various 
formations of nature. Rejecting, as I had, the Mosaic 
account of the Creation as impossible and absurd, or 
rather, refusing credence to the literal -interpretation 
of that account as received by the sectarian church 
previous to the discoveries of G-eologists, my mind was 
somewhat prepared for the reception of a more rational, 
and philosophical history of the formation of oui- globe, 
and the unfolding of the mineral, vegetable and 
animal substances that appear thereon. Having 



24 

formed no theory upon this subject, nor adopted the 
speculations of others, I was, mentally in a position to 
consider impartially any views which might be pre- 
sented in relation thereto. 

I had not received from our spirit friends any inti- 
mation of their intention to impart thought upon this 
subject, through myself. Nor had I ever desired or 
anticipated that an effort to that effect would be made 
by them, until one morning in the month of January, 
1856, awaking suddenly, I found myself in the midst, 
as it were, of a prolonged contemplation of the prin- 
ciples and forces, which evolved from chaos the beau- 
tiful form^ that every where meet our gaze. It was 
not like a dream. It seemed as though there had 
been a continuous action of the mind during the hours 
of slumber, which ceased not upon my waking. 
There appeared to be a sudden illumination of the 
chambers of the brain. That which had before 
seemed so dark and mysterious as to be entirely un- 
approachable by me, was now clear and free from 
difficulty, easy to be comprehended and wondrous in 
its perfection. 

Pleased, yet almost bewildered by this strange 
awakening, I could scarcely understand its purport. 
There was surely an influence beyond myself — an un- 
seen intelligent agent who had produced this effect. 



25 

for, as I have before said, a subject to me involved in 
deepest mystery had suddenly been made clear. The 
mists of superstition and ignorance seemed all at once 
to have melted away, and a pure and brilliant light 
shone upon the works of the Divine hand. 

The avocations of the day removed these impressions 
of the early morn, and finally the scene which had 
caused me so much surprise and pleasure, gave way 
for other thoughts and passed from my memory. 

A few days after, while at the table with my wife 
and some friends, I was requested by the circle of 
spirits controlling the medium to sit every evening at 
twilight, in company with a gentleman who, like my- 
self, felt much interest in the subject of Spu^it-inter- 
oouTse ; and if conditions were favorable, an efibrt 
would be made, they said, to write through my hand 
a work upon the subject, which had been so strangely 
presented to my mind. " The Creation of the world." 

Obedient to this request my friend and self seated 
ourselves at the table in a quiet room at the appointed 
hour. 

I must confess that I had many misgivings as to the 
power of the ' ' Communicating Spirit " to express 
thought upon a subject so profound, through so uncul- 
tivated an organism. I did not consider myself suit- 
ably prepared by my previous studies or contempla- 
3 



26 

tions, for such a purpose. Being unread in Greology, 
Chemistry or Natural Philosophy, I felt that I was 
deficient in the mental culture, necessary for the de- 
sired purpose. 

It was, however, not very difficult to perform the 
task that has been assigned me — to sit an hour with a 
frietid. Therefore, I yielded a ready compliance. 

After sitting in silence some fifteen minutes, I sud- 
denly felt a thrill, or, as it were, an electrical current 
pass into and down my arm, while at the same moment, 
thoughts were given to my mind, which I, with an 
agitated hand, transmitted to the paper before me. 
Thought followed thought in quick succession, and 
was written with wonderful rapidity. Two or three 
pages of foolscap were thus written over, when the 
impressions ceased as suddenly as they had been given, 
and the electric sensations left the hand and arm. 

Upon examining what had been given, my friend 
pronounced it satisfactory, and to me, it conveyed the 
assurance of power to accomplish in time, that which 
my spirit fi'iends desired. Reflecting upon this strange 
occurrence the next day^, I came to the conclusion that 
it would be well for me to acquaint myself with, at 
least, the technical terms, used by Gleologists, and 
consequently I purchased a work upon that science, 
which I proposed studying at m.y leisure. Using the 



27 

first favorable opportunity, I retired with my Geologi- 
cal work to a quiet apartment, and began my labor. 
Patiently, and attentively, I scanned the page before 
me, deliberately examining each sentence, so as to draw 
within my mind the idea, and fasten in my memory 
the phraseology of the writer ; but what was my as- 
tonishment to find, after reading nearly a page, that 
my mind was a complete blank. Not one thought had 
been retained, not a single impression had been re- 
ceived. 

I was quiet and composed before I commenced 
reading, not having anything to disturb the mental 
action, or prevent the exercise of a naturally retentive 
memory, I could not comprehend this matter. After 
another attempt with similar result, I abandoned the 
effort, concluding, that something must be wrong with 
myself; and, that I was not then in condition to 
prosecute my researches. At a more advanced period 
of the day I resumed my book, and after repeated 
failures to accomplish my purpose, abandoned it in 
despair, reluctantly coming to the humiliating conclu- 
sion, that my mental powers were not equal to the 
comprehension of the rudimental lessons in the science 
of G-eology. 

I must confess, I was somewhat annoyed. Hereto- 
fore, I had found myself equal, in some degree at 



28 

least, to the reception of knowledge as profound as 
that which now seemed to baffle me. I was at a loss 
to comprehend that which had occurred. 

The mystery was soon unraveled. Just before the 
twilight hour when the writing was to be resumed, I 
received the following elucidation of the matter from 
my spirit friends. 

Controlling the medium, they said: "We desire 
that you should not fill the mind with the teachings of 
others; we will, in time, impart to you that which we 
wish to give to the world, therefore, we erased from 
your brain the thoughts which you attempted to draw 
from the book." 

Thus, was satisfactorily explained, the perplexing 
difficulty which I had encountered. Since that even- 
ing I have not looked through a book, unless for pas- 
time, being convinced that knowledge more accurate, 
and thoughts more profound, may be received by 
direct influx from the higher spheres. The aspirations 
of the mind for light and truth, the earnest desire for 
knowledge, will attract to the individual possessing 
such aspirations and desires, spirits, elevated in wis- 
dom, who have learned in the etherial home, the truth 
of His words, Who said : " It is more blessed to give 
than to receive." 

The hour arrived for the continuance of the work, 



29 

and I found that increased power had been gained, 
by the controlling spirit, thought being more freely 
given, and more perfectly expressed than at my 
former sitting. Occasionally while writing, the influ- 
ence would suddenly leave my arm, the impression 
pass at the same moment from my mind, aiid a sentence 
he left unfinished. Sometimes when this occurred, I 
would suppose the Spirit-communication ended for the 
hour, but would remain at the table in conversation 
with my friend; and after the lapse of twenty minutes 
or half an hour, the electric influence would suddenly 
again be felt in my arm, the impressions be distinctly 
given to the brain, and the unfinished sentence be 
properly completed. 

On one occasion, while illustrating the power of the 
law of attraction, there was written — "Essences the 

inost refined a/re withdrawn from gross ," here the 

inspiration ceased, and, having no idea of what was 
intended, I found it impossible to extract a suitable 
continuation of the sentence from my own mental 
laboratory. 

After making many efforts I had given it up in de- 
spair, and was about to retire from the table, when 
my hand was again seized, the letters e r, added to 
Ihe word gross, and followed up by — "contact, and 

TMmlded in forms of heanty hy its power f^ — the sen- 
3* 



30 

tence when completed reading thus : * ' Essences the 
most refined, are withdrawn from grosser contact, and 
moulded in forms of beauty hy its power." 

In this strange manner the writing of thoughts which 
did not originate in my own brain continued day after 
day, for a short time; I was then informed that it 
would be discontinued for a season, to be resumed at 
some suitable hour in the future. 



31 



CHAPTER III. 

Friends desirous to inyestigate the mysteries of 
spirit-intercourse, now began to drop in frequently to 
see us. The development of my wife's mediumistie 
powers was daily progressing, and communications of 
a satisfactory and convincing character were freely 
given through the "Dial." Our "Circle" began to 
increase in number, and those who sat regularly with 
us found a gentle influence being gradually thrown 
around them, and felt the presence of their loved ones, 
who had preceded them to the spirit home. 

Many communications were spelled out through the 
"Dial" which seemed almost meaningless while 
coming letter by letter, but, which, when connected 
and punctuated, were found to be replete with beauty 
of thought and diction; conveying messages of love 
from those who had been supposed to be shrouded in 
the darkness of the tomb, dwelling amid the torturing 



32 

flames of the regions of despair, or closed in from the 
approach of all sorrow or sadness by the emerald 
gates of the golden paved Paradise. 

Sitting around the table one afternoon, with four or 
five friends, my hand was suddenly moved with vio- 
lence, and upon making the pencil there was written 
with great rapidity, — 

** J3e ccdm DansMn, and 1 wiU give you an acrostic. ^^ 

POE. 

Upon reading it I laughingly remarked : that if Poe 
supposed he could pass rhyme through my brain, he 
must prepare himself for a disappointment, for, surely, 
he would find it impossible. All were amused at the 
idea of poetry being given through my organism, and 
as no poetry followed immediately, we soon became 
interested in the communications from the spirit 
friends of other persons present, which were being 
received through the mediumship of Mrs. Danskin, 
and Poe, the poet, with his rash promise, was for- 
gotten. 

We had been sitting an hour or more, the party 
was about to break up, and my hand was again 
suddenly seized and with increased velocity was 
written : — 



33 

Earth had no joys for me, 
Dark was my fate below, 
Grief, like the boundless sea, 
And limitless as woe, 
Rolled o'er the poet Poe. 

These lines were written with a rapidity that would 
seem incredible to any but those who witnessed the 
movement of the pencil. 

After this time, short pieces would be written in 
metre whenever I sat at the table, not remarkable 
for any merit, or similarity of style to that of him 
from whom they purported to come, but only curious 
and interesting when viewed as coming through one 
whose life had been passed in the dull sphere of busi- 
ness facts, and not in the brighter realms of poetic 
fancy. 

It would as soon have entered my brain to write a 
dissertation on Astronomy, or one of the abstruse 
sciences with which I was totally unacquainted, as 
to attempt to express thought in rhyme, yet, it had 
now become an almost daily occurrence. 

I remember one occasion when we were about re- 
tiring to slumber I was directed, through Mrs. Dan- 
skin, to take the pencil; a spirit being present who 
wished to give a thought through me. Without 
knowing upon what subject I was to write, or having 



34 

an idea what form the communication would assume, 
I submitted passively to the influence. It proved to 
be that of my eldest sister, whom I had never seen, 
she having passed from earth when an infant, and 
having been for many years an angel of brightness in 
the land of beauty and bliss. 

The sensation in the arm and hand now was not 
violent, as when Poe wrote, but gentle and pleasant; 
the impressions came not in complete sentences, but 
word by word, or sometimes two or three words 
would be given together. When finished, it read 
thus : — 

The Spirit who, with earth-bound eyes, 

Looks on the changing scenes of life, 
Sees not the one grand purpose rise 

From out the never-ceasing strife; 
But He, Whose simple thought outspun 

The gorgeous realms of endless day, 
Will blend all shadows into one 

Effulgent light, — a heaven-born ray; 
Whose radiant glory shall outshine 

The brightest Orb that rolls in space^ 
Diffusing light, and love Divine 

O'er all of Earth's benighted race. 

The thought here expressed was not within my 
mind when I sat down to write. When my hand 



35 

began its work I knew not whether poetry or prose 
was to "be tke result, nor did I know, until it was 
before me on the paper, what was the idea contained 
in the lines which I had written. 

Here, then, was evidence, positive and unquestion- 
able, that some foreign intelligence was using my or- 
ganism to give expression to that which did not, and 
could not have originated within myself; that it was 
not evil in its nature is evinced in its works. Clear 
streams flow not from unclean fountains; — ^pure 
thoughts spring not from impure minds. The teach- 
ings which were now, almost daily, imparted from 
this source, breathed only the purest morality, the 
most unselfish devotion to the good of others, and the 
most profound adoration of the Deific Mind. 

The objection which has been urged against Spirit- 
ualism by many of the earnest adherents of the 
church, that it was demoralizing and vicious in its 
tendencies, and led by easy steps down to the dark 
■pool of infidelity, would not be sustained by aught 
that has ever been given in speech or manuscript 
through the mediumship of either Mrs. Danskin or 
myself, A calm reliance upon the Love and Wisdom 
of the Grreat Father^ an^elevation of thought to His 
Divine attributes^ a perception of His handiwork in 
all the beautiful creations of the natural world j* was 



36 

the result of oar daily communion with our much- 
loved, though unseen, friends. Our minds, previous- 
ly occupied by the cares, the pleasures, and the 
desires of earth, seemed gradually withdrawn from 
accustomed contemplations, — and purer thoughts, 
higher aims, c«,nd nobler impulses filled the vacated 
chambers of the soul. 

Many losses, trials and disappointments crossed our 
path during the period of which I now write, but 
seemed not to leave their accustomed impress. The 
idea had now become imprinted upon the mind, that 
the Father, in His Wisdom, had so ordered the affairs 
of life, that evil as a positive principle could not 
exist ; that adversity had its uses, which when under- 
stood, gave brilliancy and beauty to that which other- 
wise seemed only dark and gloomy. 

The lessons learned in the ordeal through which we 
passed were, perhaps, not unneeded. We were 
taught, that the vanities, the pomps, and the plea- 
sures of the external existence were fleeting and 
transitory; that there was within us an immortal, 
or spiritual essence that would not be content with the 
shadows of earth, but which strove, with eager eyes, 
to penetrate the realms of the real life. 

To acquire true knowledge of the spiritual exist- 
ence was now our earnest desire. We were not 



37 

actuated by mere curiosity, nor did we desire to 
secure the aid of the immortal ones in our earthly 
pursuits; hut, with simple, unalloyed aspirations for 
Truth, we meekly and reverently asked knowledge of 
Him Who has said, "Seek, and ye shall find, — 
knock, and it shall be opened unto you." 

Our petitions were not unheeded. As time passed 
on the susceptibility of Mrs. Danskin to spirit-influ- 
ence increased^ and the development of her medium- 
istic powers steadily progressed. The "Dial," at 
length, became unnecessary. The thought, which 
the Spirit might desire to convey, would be impressed 
upon her mind, and written through her hand ; the 
style of expression and chirography varying in ac- 
cordance with the character of the ' ' Communicating 
Spirit." At times, the communications would be 
written in the bold, masculine manner of the rough 
man, and again they would be traced in the delicate 
lines of the graceful and accomplished woman. 

Her sister, of whom I have before spoken, was the 
attendant, or guardian spirit, who seemed to super- 
intend and direct the progress of her development;, 
accompanied, usually, by one who announced himself, 
as delegated by higher powers, to aid in advancing 
the benign and elevating truths of Spirit-intercourse 

to the world. Through the hand of the young lady^ 
4 



38 

the medium heretofore referred to, communications 
would be written, giving us kind advice and counsel 
in regard to the manner in which our investigations 
should be pursued. Predictions, foretelling the 
course of the development, and the character of 
mediumship which would be displayed by both Mrs. 
Danskin and myself, were also written through her 
during the earlier portion of our intimacy, and have 
since been realized, or are at present in course of 
fulfilment. The development of others was clearly 
indicated as a part of the duty which would devolve 
upon us. It was said, that magnetic influences would 
be passed from the spirit world through our organisms, 
and cast around those who came within our "Circle." 
The power of healing the sick was also promised as 
one of the gifts that would be bestowed upon us; 
and other phases of the receptive, or mediumistic, 
condition were indicated which have since then ap- 
peared. 

During the past six months, almost every one who 
has been introduced to our little social, spiritual 
gatherings, has felt the spirit-influence manifesting 
its powers in greater or less degree. The first mani- 
festation of this kind occurred during the autumn of 
1855. We, at that time, established regular tri- 
weekly sittings, with the members of a family that 



39 

had been previously engaged in the investigation of 
the spiritual phenomena. At almost every sitting 
some one, or all, of the persons present, except Mrs. 
Danskin and myself, would be thi'own into a gentle 
slumber. Sometimes, without any apparent effort on 
the part of my wife, and at other times, she would be 
controlled by the Spirit or Spii'its who desii-ed to 
develop the mediumistic powers of oui' fiiends, and 
manipulations, similar to those used in producing 
mesmeric conditions, would be made. 

In the month of September, 1855, while sitting 
one evening with the "Dial" before us, a communi- 
cation was spelled out, which, when properly ar- 
ranged, was found to come .from my wife's sister, 
and plainly foret-old the early removal from the trials 
and sorrows of eai^th, of one whom they both held 
dear — their much-loved mother. 

It seems proper for me to say, that at the time this 
communication was received there were no indications ■ 
of disease more prominent than had been exhibited 
for several previous years. Our newly awakened 
interest in the Spii'itual manifestations had so much 
engrossed our thoughts^ and time, that Mrs. Danskin 
had not been as regular in her visits to the home of 
her parents as was her previous custom. The spirit, 
when giving this intelligence, stated that it was not 



40 

given to cause sorrow to the heart of her sister, 
but to impress her with the thought, that it would 
be well to let nothing interfere with her duty to their 
mother. 

Nothing, of course, was said to other members of 
the family about the communication which had been 
received, nor was there any indication until the com- 
mencement of the following year, that the prediction 
would be fulfilled. 

In January it became apparent that the most insid- 
ious foe of the physical welfare of humanity, Con- 
sumption, was about to strike a fatal blow. This 
cherished parent was suddenly prostrated, and, al- 
though naturally delicate and feeble, she lingered 
until near the close of April before she passed into 
that realm where sorrow has no dwelling-place. 

During her illness Mrs. Danskin was her constant 
attendant; day and night, with short intervals of 
repose, she watched at the bedside, cheering the 
patient sufi'erer as the weary hours slowly passed. 

It was not until after the final event that I per- 
ceived symptoms of the same disease being exhibited 
in the system of my wife. The hollow cough, the 
hectic flush, and other indications of confirmed dis- 
ease, became painfully apparent. During her attend- 
ance at the bedside of her mother the thought had not 



41 

occurred to me, that my wife was in danger, but a 
moment's reflection should have shown me, that one 
so frail could not inhale the same atmosphere that was 
being breathed by the decaying system of an aged 
consumptive, without having the impurities with 
which that atmosphere was impregnated lodged within 
her own lungs. 

This knowledge had come too late to prevent the 
results ; my care now was to procure the best medical 
advice, and use every effort to stay the progress of 
the disease, if we could not entirely expel it. An 
eminent physician informed us that one of the lungs 
was seriously affected ; and he left what he believed 
to be a suitable prescription. This, however, was 
never used because, shortly after he took his leave 
Mrs. Danskin became entranced, and the Spirit of 
one who, when in the earth-form, was known as the 
philanthropic and learned Doctor Rush, of Philadel- 
phia, controlled her organs of speech, and advised, 
that her system should not be subjected to the action 
of any strong medicine. The open air daily and a 
generous diet, he said, were better suited to her 
condition. 

Had this kind advice been followed I have no 

doubt but that much subsequent suffering would have 

been avoided. Mrs. Danskin's tastes and habits 
4* 



42 

being domestic, I found it difficult to draw her from 
home ; no inducement could lead lier to take the 
much needed out-door exercise. A few weeks after 
this we received a visit from some friends who passed 
the month preceding Christmas with us, and_, conse- 
quently, Mrs. Danskin was more confined within 
doors than ever. The result was what I feared it 
would be. Early in January, 1857, she was com- 
pletely prostrated, — losing strength and animation, 
and being apparently on the brink of the eternal 
shores. 

A physician and friend, whom I had highly es- 
teemed for many years, was at the time in attendance 
upon my aged and infirm mother. Contrary to my 
wish, this gentleman was consulted in relation to 
my wife's condition, and immediately commenced a 
course of active treatment, according to the best 
formulas of the Allopathic School. My position was 
now painful in the extreme. Having implicit confi- 
dence in the judgment and skill of our medical advi- 
ser, loJio had passed the portals of the inner life; 
and knowing, by previous experience, that he could 
penetrate with the spirit vision more deeply into the 
interior, and perceive more clearly than could any 
mortal eye, the real condition of the sufi'erer, I de- 
sired to be guided solely by him ; and, I have not 



43 

the slightest doubt that, if I had acted according to 
the dictates of my own feelings in this matter, much 
suffering would have been avoided, and an early 
restoration to health have followed. But I was over- 
ruled, and some six months confinement to her room 
was the unpleasant consequence. During the period 
of her illness she would sometimes pass into the 
interior or entranced state, and certain views of her 
case would be given me, through her own organs 
of speech, that manifested knowledge of anatomy 
and physiology entirely beyond her normal acquire- 
ments. In order to test the accuracy of the informa- 
tion thus received^ I would sometimes suggest certain 
views of the case and modes of treatment to our 
earthly physician, and in every instance they met his 
approval. So much was he impressed with the cor- 
rectness of what I suggested, that he several times 
remarked to his patient, "If I am not present at 
any time, and you should be in doubt as to the 
propriety of any particular course, consult Mr. Dan- 
skin, he understands your case, and will direct you 
aright.^'' 

At last I made the impression upon the mind of 
my wife, that our spirit-guide was more thoroughly 
acquainted with her condition than any mortal, no 
matter how skillful, could be; and she then aban- 



44 

doned the drugs and plasters which had been pro- 
fusely exhibited, and relied upon pure air, cold 
water, and the other simple remedies which had been 
prescribed by our unseen friend. 

A carbuncle, which caused sometimes intense pain, 
appeared upon the ancle, and drew the inflammation 
from the lungs downward, affording an outlet to the 
impurities which had so thickly settled within the 
chest. The pain from this ulcer was very great, 
amounting at times to agony. Many applications had 
been made but produced no good effect, seeming only 
to irritate and inflame, instead of soothing. On one 
occasion, during a quiet interval, I asked, if our 
spirit-friends could not suggest a remedy,— Mrs, Dan- 
skin was immediately entranced, and the direction 
given — '' Send for a Healing Medium" I knew of 
no person in Baltimore to whom that appellation 
could be properly applied except Mr, Benjamin S. 
Benson, the proprietor of an extensive Iron Foundry; 
who had been made the instrument of several won- 
derful cures by the simple "laying on of hands," 
These cures were well authenticated; some of them 
having occurred in the presence of large family cir- 
cles, and all of them having been performed without 
fee or reward, other than that which arises from the 
consciousness of having done a generous or benevo- 



45 

lent action. I immediately addressed this gentleman 
a note, desiring him at his earliest convenience to call 
upon us, and in about two hours thereafter was glad- 
dened by his presence. 

It may be proper here to remark, that Mrs. Dan- 
skin is one of the least imaginative persons that I 
have ever known ; she has^ all her life been noted 
for plain, matter of fact, common sense ; not addicted 
to the marvelous or wonderful, not caring for the 
fancifal or extravagant, but sedulously devoting her- 
self to her household duties, and seeming to take but 
little interest in what was passing beyond her own 
immediate circle. The relief which was experienced, 
when Mr. Benson placed his hand upon the diseased 
spot, could not properly, therefore, be attributed to 
the force of imagination, as might have been in the 
case of a person differently constituted. 

It is a fact, account for it as we may, that this 
dreadful ulcer, which was so inflamed that it was 
most sensitive to the touch of her own hand, however 
gentle she might be when dressing it, yielded almost 
immediately to the magnetic influence which seemed 
to emanate from the hand of the ^'Healing Medium." 
He placed his hand directly over and upon the sore, 
and yet Ms touch produced no pain; the fiery and 
inflamed appearance soon was changed, and, gradu- 



46 

ally, the color of the flesh became more natural and 
healthy. 

The visits of Mr. Benson were continued during 
four or five weeks, averaging perhaps twice a week. 
A great improvement was visible from the commence- 
ment. Sometimes other friends were present and we 
would be directed, through Mrs Danskin, while en- 
tranced, to join hands; thereby increasing the force 
of the magnetic influence, and manifestly imparting 
much strength to the invalid. She now grew better 
rapidly, and our spirit-friend, Dr. Rush, who had 
directed the course of the ' ' Healing Medium " at 
nearly, if not quite, every visit, again recommended 
the open air as absolutely essential to her resto- 
ration. 

The immediate danger which threatened the lungs 
had been withdrawn by the issue which had been 
formed at the ancle ; the pain of the ulcer had been 
removed by the magnetic influence which spirits had 
imparted through the mediumship of Mr. Benson, 
and now, pure air was needed to restore the lungs. 

In accordance with this advice, I made arrange- 
ments for her to ride each day, an hour or two. 

The wisdom of our spirit-guides was manifested in 
the marked improvement which followed. Soon I was 
cheered by appearances of returning health, and 



47 

renewed usefulness. As she gained strength, the 
character of the spirit manifestations became more 
distinctly marked, being more varied than before, 
and embracing a wider range of thought. Spirits 
would now control her organs of speech, and talk 
with us as they did when on earth; exhibiting the 
peculiarities by which they were then distinguished, 
and, by their conversation and the emotions which 
they manifested, giving to us more clear and correct 
ideas of the conditions and circumstances of the Spirit- 
life. 



48 



CHAPTER IV. 

One, who had lived to an extended period on earth, 
accumulating and hoarding with avaricious mind, 
until her fortune had grown to nearly half a mil- 
lion, came to us one evening, and by her tone and 
manner made herself known before giving us her 
name. 

The mind which, on earth, had sought happiness 
in the acquisition of wealth ; which had concentrated 
all its powers upon the one object, did not undergo 
an immediate transformation when freed from the 
physical body. The train of thought was the same. 
Money; wealth: the adulation which its possession 
secured to the holder; the power it gave to control 
the destinies of others; the consideration which it 
gained from all, — these were the thoughts which 
filled the mind when clothed with the earth-form, and 
those thoughts were still the companions of that mind 
in the spirit world. 



49 

Relating, at my request, the circumstances attend- 
ing her entrance into the spirit home, she said: — "All 
was barren; a wide extended plain, without a tree 
or shrub, dreary and cheerless was the aspect of all 
that met my eye; but," said she, "I had my trea- 
sure, my wealth was still mine ; I seemed to clasp it 
even more closely than I did when on earth; I 
thought, that with wealth I would have power; that 
with it I could command the services of others, as I 
had done heretofore. After wandering, lonely but 
self-reliant, for a time, I became weary, and with 
my treasure-casket for a pillow, composed myself for 
slumber. At length I was aroused by the sound of a 
voice, whose clear sweet tones seemed to fill the air 
with melody. Casting my glance upward, I discovered, 
in the distance, a radiant form, glowing with beauty, 
and looking kindly upon me, as I lay, reposing upon 
my highly treasured pillow. Soon the angel, (for 
she was one of the bright messengers of God) spake, 
saying: 'Come sister, come with me; I will lead 
thee where flowers bloom, where birds sing, where 
murmuring waters flow; come, let me bear thee to 
the garden where knowledge will be given to thee.' 
"This pleased me not. Knowledge be given to me 1 
1, to whom so many on earth had looked up with 
reverence, because of the superior knowledge I had 



50 

displayed in the accumnlation of wealth ; I, to whom 
even the ministers of the Gospel, the chosen ones 
of the Lord, had bowed down ; hoping thereby to 
secure contributions from my well filled coffers to 
their sectarian enterprizes; knowledge be given to 
me, as though I was one of the ignorant or lowly ; I 
felt indignant at the thought, my anger rose^ and in 
reply I said : Away, away, you know not to whom 
you speak. I am no common person, seeking favors 

from others; I am Miss E, C , the 

wealthy Miss K C- , I ask no aid — I 

seek no help ; I have treasures ; I have wealth ; 
away, away, you know not to whom you speak ! 
With a look of sorrow, the bright spirit departed, 
and again I was alone, amid the dreary expanse. 
Alone did I say, nay, not alone. I yet had my much 
loved treasures, and, surely, I could need no more." 

This communication and the peculiarities of manner 
exhibited during its recital, were so natural and life- 
like, that any acquaintance of this most eccentric 
lady would at once have recognized her presence. 

Desiring to awaken her mind to a sense of the 
present worthlessness of her much valued treasuref I 
said: "Do you not perceive how useless are your 
accumulations of the past, when a single flower, 
which in its simple beauty would be so pleasant to 



51 

your eye, cannot be purchased, even in exchange 
for all your wealth. It cannot procui'e for you a 
single gratification ; in your present state of existence 
it is hut a useless burden, and the sooner you free 
your mind from the bondage in which it has dwelt, 
the sooner will you be fitted to enjoy the rare beauties^ 
and never fading pleasures of that home which the 
Grreat Father has prepared for all his childi-en." 

My counsel was rejected with scorn, and telling me 
that I was ignorant of the value and power of wealth, 
she withdrew her influence from the medium, and 
passed again to her barren home, in the world of 
spirits. Subsequently she came many times to us, 
and through the instruction, which was offered to her 
in kindness, and with an earnest desire to dispel the 
hallucination which seemed to possess her, she was, at 
length, led to look upon her condition in its true light 
and seek from "the angel" that aid and guidance, 
which had, at first, been so rudely rejected. 

The conversations with this spirit, of which the 
above is a very meagre and imperfect sketch, were 
most interesting and instructive. They taught us, 
that when the faculties of the mind become engrossed 
in any one pursuit ; when the heart and the soul are 
neglected, and the intellect is kept actively employed 
during the earth-life in the acquisition of gold, that 



52 

the perceptions of the spirit are weakened, and, when 
transferred to the eternal home, it has no power to 
recognize the beauties by which it is surrounded ; no 
capacity to enjoy the pleasures which flow from the 
exercise of the affections. They proved to us, clearly, 
that man, when entering upon the spiritual life does 
not cast aside +he impressions which have been re- 
ceived by contact with the world, but that the mind 
still retains the habits of thought which have been 
cherished on earth. 

It does not follow, however, that because the mind 
has been misled on earth, and enters upon the spirit 
life in ignorance and consequent suffering, it should 
forever thus remain. Oh no ! The kind and benefi- 
cent Father, the Almighty and All- Wise G-od, has 
not thus left incomplete this beauteous fabric, the 
out-growth of His own great mind. The child, once 
breathing the breath of life, once bearing the image 
of the Father, can never wander beyond the reach of 
His all-seeing eye ; can never pass beyond the boun- 
daries of His infinite love. Influences, kind and 
gentle, are ever being cast around the darkened ones 
by the bright spirits which dwell in peace and glory, 
and when those influences once reach the heart, and 
penetrate the soul, arousing the unhappy to a sense 
of their errors, then comes a desire for knowledge, 



53 

and earnest aspirations for a higher and purer life ; 
and, in accordance with the promise givdn in the past, 
the seeker ever finds — to the one who knocks, the door 
is ever opened. The child of Grod, whether dwelling 
on the material earth, or breathing the atmosphere 
of the world beyond, never seeks in vain; never 
asks, and is refused. No. The good Father never 
turns a deaf ear to the supplications of His offspring. 
The mere span of life in this rudimental sphere is not 
the arbiter of man's eternal destiny. The term of 
the earth-life, to the immortal spirit, is but as the 
infant-school to the man of science. The knowledge 
here obtained, or neglected, may influence his future 
career, but cannot check forever his onward progress. 
He is not compelled to remain uneducated through 
life, because, in childhood's hours, he has not given 
heed to the admonitions which were intended for his 
good. If, when the day of youthful folly and caprice 
has passed, the mind feeling its wants, applies its 
energies to the acquisition of knowledge, no impas- 
sable barrier impedes its progress ; the doors of the 
Temple are thrown wide open to receive the tardy 
guest, late though he come to the banquet. Thus it 
is with the spirit which has passed the hours of the 
rudimental existence in the pursuit of frivolous plea- 
sure, or useless hoards of wealth. When, on entering 
5* 



54 

into the interior life, he discovers how much has been 
lost, how many precious hours have been squandered, 
and how little of real value has been obtained, he bows 
meekly, in penitence and sorrow before the throne 
of love and wisdom, and asks that strength may be 
given him to follow steadily the path that leads to 
higher and holier conditions. Is his prayer rejected? 
No. The Father, Whose love is co-extensive with 
His power, casts around the repentant child that 
light which will illumine the darkened chambers of 
his soul. 

The love of the Divine Father, for the offspring 
of His own omnipotent will, is not variable, nor fleet- 
ing, like the affection of man. Circumstances, times, 
and seasons change not the purpose of God. The 
love, which descends in copious streams upon the 
favored children of earth is free to all the many 
peopled spheres ; it permeates with its effulgence the 
boundless expanse of the universe. No creature can 
be so low, so degraded, so debased, as to sink 
beneath the reach of God's infinite love; no arch- 
angel can shine in golden hues but as he reflects the 
radiance which flows from the Supreme. God's love 
is ever present ; knowing no diminution, needing no 
expansion; it is sufficient for all the innumerable 
intelligences which fill His boundless empire. 



55 

Following, the spirit of this avaricious female, 
came others, almost daily. Some, whom T had 
known personally, and others, with whom I was 
acquainted only by their public life, or private reputa- 
tion. One who had been a leading member of the 
Baltimore Bar for years', came, and with a mournful 
eloquence portrayed the sorrows of his spirit life ; be- 
wailing the hardness of his fate, and imploring annihi- 
lation. He could not bear the sting of an awakened con- 
science. On one occasion, while conversing with us, 
he said: "Often, often say I now to myself the words 
which once I used to others— Guilty, guilty thou art." 

He at times, would endeavor to cast the faults 
of his life upon his Creator, saying, that God, in Mis 
power, had created and ordained all things, therefore, 
it was destiny that made men what they were. Desir- 
ing, as it seemed^ to throw off the responsibility of his 
own actions, and attributing to the circumstances 
which had surrounded him, the follies and vices that 
had marked his career, and which were the choice of 
his own free-will. 

By kind advice and gentle admonition he was, 
at length, led to a more rational conception of his rela- 
tions to the Great Father ; and possessing originally a 
brilliant mind he soon progressed in knowledge of the 
spirit life, and by the aid of pure and holy angels, he 



56 

was advanced from a condition of darkness and 
almost despair into one of comparative light and 

joy- 
Since this change in his condition he has several 
times controlled the medium, speaking with the force 
and rapidity by which he was distinguished when 
on earth, and exhibiting both mental and physical 
power far beyond the capacity of the medium when 
in her normal state. 

Another spirit, a friend of the one of whom I 
have just been writing, formerly a representative in 
Congress, and also Judge of one of the Courts of 
Maryland, came to us one evening when Mrs. Dan- 
skin and myself were sitting alone together. She 
was quite unwell, and so weak as to be scarcely 
able to sit up in her chair. He controlled her, in 
defiance of the eiforts of our spirit friends to prevent 
him. They, fearing that in his then excited condi- 
tion, he might exercise too great an amount of force 
for the medium to bear in her weak state, inter- 
fered, and cut short his communication when but 
a few sentences had been spoken; telling us, they 
feared his influence would prove detrimental, and 
had therefore intercepted his thoughts as they were 
being concentrated upon her mind. He was, when 
on earth, a man of indomitable self-will, and on this 



57 

occasion his conduct afforded another exemplineation 
of the fact, that a change of condition does not 
necessarily result in a change of character; for, 
after our friends had ceased to communicate and 
had withdrawn their influence from the medium^ he 
again took possession of her vocal organs, and with 
some violence exclaimed, that he icould give utterance 
to the thoughts which were in his mind. 

He then spoke of the unutterable agony which 
filled his soul when contemplating his wasted life, and 
the prostitution of the talents with which Grod had so 
richly endowed him. 

When in the earth-form, he was universally ad- 
mitted to be a highly gifted man, possessing a bril- 
liancy and scope of intellect rarely found combined ; 
he was profound as a jurist, and almost unequaled 
as an orator, winning by his eloquence the hearts 
of all who listened to his fervid appeals; but alas! 
like many of the gifted ones of our land, he had 
sipped from the wine cup the fatal poison that sent 
madness thrilling through his veins, and a career 
that might have been honorable to himself and use- 
ful to his fellows was brought to a close when, in the 
prime of his manhood, with all his faculties matured, 
he should have been the pride, and the ornament of 
the society in which he moved. 



58 

This man had believed that there was no life after 
the grave had closed upon the mortal frame, and oh, 
how horror-stricken was he to find, that he was an 
immortal spirit — knowing no death; feeling a life 
more vivid, more intense than his imagination had 
ever previously conceived. Was his present condi- 
tion unchangeable, how dark and gloomy would be 
his fate ; but it is not so ! Communion with the 
spirit-world has taught us, that the gentle influences 
of angel-friends will dispel the shadows which now 
enshroud him, and, in time, unfold to his vision 
the radiant beauties of that home which has been 
prepared for all the children of our Father. 

Soon after this, another spirit came to us ; one 
whom T had known during many years. Proud of 
his distinguished ancestry, having the appliances of 
wealth and station to cherish his self-esteem, he had 
grown pompous and arrogant. His earth-life had 
been a continuous scene of sensuous indulgence ; the 
affectional nature had been polluted, and the intellec- 
tual neglected, but he entertained the idea that he 
possessed superior mental capacities. 

He came to us sneeringly, telling us that our 
"Circle" was not composed of the class of intellects 
suited to a man of his ability. He desired to com- 
mune with minds more cultivated — with men of 



59 

science, literature and philosophy. If we would draw 
su<Ji minds around us, he would be pleased to mingle 
thought with tJiem. - 

Following him, came the gentle breathings of a 
loving wife for the lonely one whose heart was clothed 
in sadness, because she seemed lost to him. She 
spake in soft accents of the love which had united 
them, of her prayers and watchful care for him now, 
and of the joy with which she would welcome him to 
the home of ineffable beauty, which awaited him in 
the skies. 

The little child would sometimes come, with its 
infant prattlings^ telling of the many pleasures by 
which it was surrounded, and in its simplicity ask- 
ing — ^Will not father come ? we wait for father ; oh, 
father come ! Mamma, and I, pluck rare and lovely 
flowers from oui* beauteous garden to lay on papa's 
pillow, so that the fragrance may penetrate his soul, 
and blend his thoughts with ours. The Angel- 
Mother would thus tutor her spirit-child to express 
their love for him, whose coming they awaited. 

Spirits, who had filled every grade of life on 
earth, came to us now in rapid succession, exhibit- 
ing the same diversity of thought and condition in 
the spirit-life which meets our view in this rudimental 
sphere. 



60 

The suicide, clotlied in gloom, feeling the horror, 
the despair which filled the mind previous to the 
commission of the rash act which had sent him un- 
called, into a life for which he was all unprepared, 
manifested his presence; bewailing in tones of an- 
guish the sad fate he had sought; describing the 
horrors which met his gaze when, as he said, '^the 
spirit leaped forth from the mortal frame, and stood 
vntJiin anotlier worlds 

The gentle girl, whose life had been guarded by 
the tender care of a loving mother, and the watchful 
eye of a doting father ; whose pure mind and uncon- 
taminated heart rendered her a fit companion for 
the angels of light, would pour forth her feelings 
in silvery accents, thrilling our hearts with her trans- 
cendantly beautiful descriptions of the land in which 
she dwelt. 

The Philanthropist would come, with open heart, 
and mind filled with the desire to relieve the sufi"er- 
ings of his brethren of earth ; and, in language and 
manner characteristic, would manifest to us the ruling 
principle which had governed him through life. 

The Statesman, whose mental vision had been 
bounded by the limits of his party's creed, would, 
with enlarged views and broader scope, portray the 
destiny of his beloved country. 



61 

During a " seance^^ of two and a half to three hours 
I have seen manifestations, or received communica- 
tions, from twelve or fifteen spirits; all differing in 
character, and some of them widely separated in 
feeling and condition. 

The Medium, when in her normal state, being 
totally incapable of such versatility of thought, and 
power of personation, what theory is there by which 
the series of manifestations that I have here related 
can be explained, other than that which comes from 
the source of all the manifestations ? 

The intelligence communicating has invariably 
claimed to be the disembodied spirit of some one who 
had formerly lived on earth. Many ''Circles" have 
been formed in various parts of our country, and in 
Europe — all classes and conditions of people have 
devoted time and thought to this subject- — the untu- 
tored mind, filled with delight at the antics of a 
moving table, at length asks — ^What is it makes the 
table jump and rock, and spell out sentences ? Has 
the reply ever been — Humbug — or the Devil ? No, 
The name of some departed friend is given, who says^ 
"I come to let you know I am not dead, but live; 
and still feel for you the sympathy and love which I 
felt when on earth." The man of science calls to- 
gether his friends and forms a "Circle," desiring to 
6 



62 

learn something of this wonder which has caused so 
much commotion in the world. Soon the medium, 
some uneducated girl perhaps, is entranced, and an- 
swers are given to abstruse questions, displaying 
knowledge more profound than even the scientific 
mind has ma-stered after years of laborious study. 
This course of scientific questioning is followed closely 
for an hour or two, and all are amazed at the mental 
phenomena which has been thus presented. Tt occurs 
then to ask — What is the source of this wonderful 
power ? Has it ever been said in reply, that Electri- 
city^ Mesmerism, Psychology, or Odic force were the 
fountains, whence these streams were flowing? Oh, 
no ! The response is promptly given. — It is a spirit, 
or a circle of spirits, men and women, who once dwelt 
on this Planet, and whose fondness for searching out 
the hidden laws and forces of nature has not been 
lessened, because the spirit, having laid aside its 
mortal coverings has become more free to roam 
throughout the vast domain of the Grreat Father, and 
more subtle and capable of penetrating, and perceiv- 
ing, and comprehending the interior principles which 
govern and unfold all material forms. 

The widowed mother calls her children about her; 
seating themselves around the table a hymn of praise 
is feung, and a request is sent from loving hearts to 



63 

the Infinite Father, that His messengers of peace 
may be permitted to bring glad tidings to those who 
sorrow. The prayer is answered. Grentle sounds 
are heard ; the eyes of all brighten ; the shadows of 
sorrow disappear ; joy gleams forth in every counte- 
nance ; the question is eagerly asked — ^Who is it that 
desires to commune with us? The hand of some 
member of this little family circle is then controlled 
by the Spirit, who writes thus — "My dearest wife, 
and children of my love, think not that Father is 
dead — he is ever hovering over you; giving pleasant 
thoughts to your minds, endeavoring to purify your 
hearts, and lead you into that path where virtue and 
peace will ever be your companions." 

Thus has it ever been. Wherever, and whenever 
a manifestation from the spirit world has been pre- 
sented to mortals, the enquirer after the source of 
such manifestation has invariably received the same 
reply. — ''I am a Spirit, or, we are Spirits, who once 
dwelt on Earth." If this is not the true solution of 
the matter, would not some discovery of its falsehood 
have been made ere this ? 

Ten years have now passed away since the myste- 
rious rapping was first heard in a small village in the 
western part of New York, and from that hour to this, 
through all the various phases of the phenomena, no 



64 

other cause has ever been suggested by the power 
communicating, or discovered by those who have most 
carefully investigated, but the living spirits of those 

WHO ONCE WERE MORTAL. 



65 



CHAPTER V. 

The Clergy have denounced Spiritualism with even 
a more ardent zeal tlian they have exhibited in their 
fulminations against each other. Divided as Secta- 
rianism is upon many points, it is truly wonderful 
to behold its unanimity of feeling upon this particular 
suBject. 

The Baptist, who shuts out all from his communion 
that have not been immersed in the pool of salva- 
tion, — the Presbyterian, who prides himself in the 
belief, that God has especially elected himself and his 
friends to be saved, — the Methodist, who, with a 
more enlarged view of Divine grace, still leaves an 
ample harvest of Grod's children to be gathered into 
the granaries of the Devil, — the Protestant Episcopal- 
ian, (I beg pardon, the Apostolic Catholic,) who looks 
with pity, but complacency, upon these, as flocks that 
have wandered from that fold, the shepherds of which 

are the genuine successors of the Apostles, — and, the 
6* 



66 

old mother of them all, the Roman Catholic, who, 
without a shudder or a sigh, consigns the others to 
eternal flames, as heretics beyond the reach of God's 
mercy, because outside the pale of the only true 
church. These, conflicting as they do, ready, when- 
ever the civil law permits, to hunt each other from 
the earth, with one accord unite in fierce denunciation 
of that which underlies their whole superstructure. 
The argument which contravenes the power of spirits 
to hold converse with mortals in the present era, 
controverts with equal force the entire range of Spi- 
ritual manifestations in the past. The laws of Jeho- 
vah are immutable. Grod, in his infinite perfection, 
is not variable like man, doing to-day that, of which 
He repents to-morrow ; but seeing, from the begin- 
ning, the end of all His labors^ He has so organized 
the elements of His universe, that perfect harmony 
and unity are the necessary results of their combined 
action. 

Sectarian division and political estrangement among 
men are caused by the same principles, or laws, being 
brought into action upon differently constituted organ- 
isms, A thought given to the masses will lead a 
portion to one conclusion, the others to a contrary 
one, because of the different conditions of the brain 
upon which the thought is received. There is no 



67 

want of unity in the idea, but the impression it 
produces depends upon the structure and state of 
cultivation of the mind to which it is transferred; 
consequently, the many contradictory theories which 
have been advanced, as fully and entirely equal to 
the satisfactory elucidation of the spiritual phenome- 
na, have not been unexpected by those Spirits who 
have been unfolded in Wisdom, and who have power 
to penetrate with their vision the chambers of thought 
which are the abodes of the mortal mind. It could 
not indeed have been otherwise. Like the fluid, 
which necessarily assumes the shape of the vessel 
by which it is contained, so, thought receives its 
form from the organs through which it must pass. 

When this principle is properly understood among 
men all sectarian hate will vanish, all political rancor 
must subside. Man will understand why his brother 
differs from his view of any particular subject, and, 
thus understanding, will cease to condemn or perse- 
cute. 

The true conception of this law will dissipate the 
great source of contention and strife among men. 
When each mind is willing to pursue independently 
its own researches for truth; not leaning upon the 
authoritatively expressed opinions of others, nor con- 
signing to eternal torture and despair those who travel 



68 

by other paths ; then, instead of desiring to destroy 
the temple erected by another, which suited his needs 
when he sought its shelter, and which may be dear 
to him from its reminiscences, it will be seen, that a 
better, a more practical method will be, to erect a 
structure so much more grand in its dimensions, so 
beautiful in its adornments, so harmonious in its pro- 
portions, that it will necessarily attract those who 
have grown weary of the narrower confines of their 
more circumscribed homes. 

The mind which, from childhood, is led to look 
with reverence upon the appointed teachers of a 
gloomy theology ; — which is impressed with the ne- 
cessity of receiving certain dogmas as ultimate truth, 
or paying the penalty of their rejection in the eternal 
flames of Hell ; the mind so fettered in its action has 
not capacity to go forth in freedom and love of truth, 
seeking throughout the vast domain of the Grreat 
Father for knowledge with which to adorn and beau- 
tify the chambers of the soul. The world of thought 
beyond their prescribed limits is dark and gloomy — 
filled with imaginary monsters, who wait in angry 
impatience to catch each wandering soul, that may 
be so heedless of the admonitions and warnings of 
the pulpit, as to venture within those forbidden 
grounds. 



69 

Man, though giving evidence of progress in science, 
in art, in all the various fields of knowledge pertain- 
ing to the earth-life, must still be limited to the 
imperfect conceptions of the past in his views of the 
Celestial existence. The same people that hail with 
delight any new application of a principle in the 
world of matter — who shower honors and emoluments 
upon him who is so fortunate as to be the instrument 
of its promulgation — will, with an inconsistency most 
glaring, heap condemnation upon his head, who has 
the temerity to avow that he has perceived a new 
light* in the Spiritual firmament . 

Confine your thoughts to earth ; let the operations 
of your mind produce that which will enable man to 
carry his Cotton or Corn with more rapidity and less 
expense to the market where it can be exchanged for 
Coin, and your name will be held in remembrance by 
the race who accept you as its benefactor ; but dare 
not ask your brother to look with you upon a more 
pure and perfect picture of the Great Author of our 
being ; — dare not say to him, my mind, in its search 
for truth, hath discovered that our Father delights not 
in torture, in vengeance and in wrath ; — say not, at 
your peril, that the dawn is approaching, when the 
dark shadows of the theological midnight must disap- 
pear, and be superseded by the efiulgence of the 



70 

coming morn, when the radiance which fills the home 
of light and love will descend in richest streams and 
penetrate each soul. This great Truth— that our Father 
is not a Grod of Hatred, Vindictiveness and Hevenge, 
is more important to the human race than all the Cotton 
Gins, Steamboats, Locomotives and Telegraphs, that 
now aid man in his material labors ; but what is the re- 
ward of him who fearlessly announces this opinion tO" 
the world, and asserts his ability to demonstrate its 
truth by the evidence of those who have passed beyond 
the physical into the spiritual life, and who, in their 
own experiences, have learned, that a repentant soul 
who seeks for light and truth with meekness and 
humility is never cast aside, although his repentance 
comes not while in this rudimental sphere ? Do those 
to whom he brings these glad tidings extend to him 
the meed of praise? or hail him as their deliverer 
from unutterable woes? Oh, no! Language is too 
feeble to give expression to their scorn. The cry is. 
Impostor — Visionary — Fanatic — Insane One, or Agent 
of the Devil. The power of the law is invoked to 
crush the Monster, and that mightier engine the Press 
is put in motion to asperse the reputation, falsify the 
acts, and cast ridicule and vituperation upon all who 
have the independence to extend to him the hand of 
fellowship. 



11 

That Theological system which suited man in the 
past, before his mind had reached the perception of 
the Divine law of love, is still exerting its intliience 
on the present, and casting its dark and gloomy sha- 
dow along the pathway of the future ; but the time 
has surely come when it must lose some of the power 
which it now so perniciously wields. 

While the man of earthly nature has been delving 
with unflagging energies in the work of Ms choice; 
the purer, the more spiritual mind has been soaring 
amid the heavens and gathering precious thoughts, 
with which to give happiness and peace to the weary 
toiler. Thus the blending of the mortal and spiritual 
spheres has been effected. 

The man of stocks and lands — of glittering wealth 
and earthly power has had no aspirations for a better 
home or purer life. His appetites have been ap- 
peased, his desires have been gratified; — his mind has 
been satisfied with the accumulations of cupidity; — 
the world has honored him ; — the mean in spirit have 
looked up to him, and in the enjoyment of the present 
he has had but little leisure to contemplate his proba- 
ble condition in the future. 

Wealth and power, when they absorb the mind and 
satiate the heart, hang like a heavy pall, obscuring 
the beautiful landscape which extends beyond the 



72 

material sphere ; but when these are but the concomi- 
tants of life — not the chief end and aim of man's efforts; 
when the mind rises in freedom to a region where the 
gauds or griefs of earth have no entrance, then, the 
spiritual nature becomes unfolded in wisdom and love, 
and the resplendent beauties of the spirit land are 
ever present to the mental vision. 

Thoughts such as these were the natural out-growth 
of the manifestations and communications of the 
Spirits who now gathered in concourse around our 
"Circle." 



73 



CHAPTER YI. 

As this great truth — Spirit-intercourse — grew more 
distinct and heautiftd in its proportions, I became 
desirous that all minds might be brought to a percep- 
tion of it. Among my friends and acquaintances I 
proclaimed my convictions, relating the facts upon 
which they were based, and urging all to investigate 
carefully for themselves. It seemed to me, that no 
rational mind could be so obtuse as to reject that 
which was the great want of humanity. In my zeal 
to present this new philosophy to the world I fre- 
quently brought condemnation and censure upon my- 
self, and, instead of convincing the person whom I 
wished to serve, only caused him to think that I had 
grown visionary or fanatical. Soon, however, I saw 
that proselyting was unnecessary, nay — worse than 
useless, in this matter. Throwing pearls before swine 
was, I perceived, a very similar operation to offering 



u 

spiritual truths to those who had no range of thought 
beyond the material existence. 

Then, in place of eagerness and zeal came calm- 
ness and composure — a full reliance upon the wisdom 
of Him who in His own good time unfolds His thoughts 
to His children of earth, and, without omitting to 
present my views of Spiritualism whenever an oppor- 
tune occasion offered, I did not with the same indis- 
creet zeal thrust them upon all classes and conditions 
of men. 

Withdrawing as much as possible from our former 
associations, Mrs. Danskin and myself, in the quiet of 
our own chamber, sat daily and nightly alone to- 
gether, receiving high and holy thoughts from the 
spirits of those who had cast aside the impurities and 
imperfections which appertain to the earth-life. 

In one of the earlier communications, received 
through the mediumship of our school-girl friend, the 
" controlling intelligence " — he who was the develop- 
iag spirit of the band which guided us; gave me as 
my motto: "Patience and Perseverance." This now 
was needed. I discovered that development in me- 
diumship, which I had supposed to be the work of a 
few days, was not to be attained with so great rapidity. 
The process of withdrawing from the mind the pre- 
judices of education and the crude ideas received by 



75 

contact with the world is, necessarily, gradual, but as 
the beauty of the subject unfolded itself to my mental 
vision, and the perfect harmony and true proportions 
of this Divine Philosophy became more distinct, I 
felt that no time given to its reception would be 
misspent ; that each hour devoted to such a cause was 
worth an age spent in the frivolities of pleasure 
seeking, or the more dull and stupifying pursuit of 
gold. Under the quickening influences of our angel 
friends, I found the powers of the mind expanding ; 
the ability to grasp that which before seemed beyond 
my comprehension appeared to increase daily. As 
one new truth was encompassed by the mind, it 
seemed but the pioneer or prelude to others which 
followed in quick succession. I saw opening before 
me, vast fields of knowledge which had previously 
not been perceived even by my imagination. The 
purpose of marl's existence now hecmne manifest. God 
had endowed His children with the desire to attain, 
the capacity to comprehend, and the power to enjoy 
in an ever increasing volume, the knowledge of His 
laws, and the wonders of His Universe which will 
expand and unfold forever, throughout the countless 
ages of eternity. I saw that when freed from the 
cares of the material life, the spirit which has 
developed its faculties in the proper performance of 



76 

the earthly duties and the cultivation of the intel- 
lectual and affectional nature, will drink in with 
avidity the beauteous scenery, the gorgeous land- 
scapes, the crystal lakes, the flowing fountains, all 
the radiant glories of the new abode ; it will perceive 
that the discipline of the trials of earth was a ne- 
cessary preparation for a proper appreciation of 
heavenly joys. The spirit which, when in the earth- 
form, sometimes felt doubt and fear, will now see the 
Love and Wisdom of the Father manifested in every 
form of life and beauty by which it is surrounded. 

The reader will please remember that our spirit- 
friends came to us, not with theories or speculations 
based upon the facts which have been recorded in 
the past, but they brought to us their experiences 
of the present, they told us of the conditions which 
surround them in the spirit home. 



11 



CHAPTEK VII. 

The Theology of tlie sectarian cliurcli provides 
comfortably enough, though rather indefinitely, for 
the saint, but what provision does it make for the 
sinner? He, too, is a child of God — made in His 
image — animated by His breath, he is a creation of the 
same All-Powerful, All- Wise and All-Loving Father; 
and what provision, I ask, does this religious system 
make for him? It consigns him to the unquenchable 
fires of an eternal Hell ; giving him damned souls for 
his companions, and fiends and devils for his tor- 
mentors. This is the wise disposition which creed- 
bound churches makes of the human race. A few — 
the number is but small, pass from a life of many 
sorrows into mansions of unimaginable bliss, while 
the vast masses of God's children add lustre to His 
glory^ and magnify His name by shrieks of agony, 

and curses of despair throughout the endless ages. 
7* 



^78 

Is the picture too tigbly colored? No, it is simply 
true. This vast establishment which o'ershadows 
Christendom, exercising potential sway amid the Em- 
pires of the old world, and ever retarding the 
steps of progress in the new, absorbing a large pro- 
portion of the products of labor, and claiming one 
day in every seven as its own; this costly fabric; 
this stupendous structure can afford shelter only to the 
few, while the many are left to utter desolation, 
without a refuge or a hope. 

Spiritualism, as it is termed, on the other hand, 
divests God of the dark mantle in which the church 
has enshrouded Him. In the light shed by angels 
upon the world, the Father is seen in His infinite 
perfection, and all the offspring of that Father, find 
peace and happiness within His boundless domain. 

In the rudimental sphere, where life begins, the 
circumstances by which we are surrounded exert 
much influence in directing our course. The child 
whose parents are united in bonds of harmony and 
love, with affections pure and minds unfolded in 
wisdom, will, naturally, be so constituted and educated 
as to render him a useful and esteemed member of 
society^ and insure him a peaceful and pleasant pas- 
sage to the eternal shores; his life here will be serene, 
and his spiritual life will consequently be supremely 



79 

happy. But lie is not the artificer of his fate, he only 
avails himself of the advantages within his reach, 
and enjoys the blessings which are the necessary 
result. Another child comes into this world scarce 
half made up ; his body diseased, his mind enfeebled ; 
his perceptions indistinct, his reflections imperfect; 
his father, perhaps a felon, his mother something 
worse; led early into crime, his proclivities all vicious, 
he is hunted through life by the ministers of the law, 
and terminates his career in a prison, or upon a scaf- 
fold. In the world of spirits, his condition is but a 
continuation of wretchedness ; but he is not permitted 
thus to remain forever. 

In the bright and beautiful abodes of the blessed, 
idle enjoyment is unknown. Active, untiring and 
ceaseless in their efforts to rescue the unfortunate, to 
enlighten the ignorant, to soothe the sorrowing heart, 
the angels are ever seeking to draw the unhappy ones 
from their sad estate. 

The atmosphere surrounding and emanating from 
the impure and corrupt spirits is so dense and foul, 
that no being of angelic purity can penetrate their 
dark abodes; nor could the undeveloped mind hold 
communion with, or comprehend the teachings of the 
angelic spirit, therefore some intermediate agent was 
necessary to establish a chain of sympathy and inter- 



80 

course between the two. The advanced spirits, dwell- 
ing in the sunlight of a Father's love, were not willing 
that their brethren, children of the same Father, 
should remain forever in wretchedness and gloom. 
The ''gulf^^ which separated Dives from Lazarus 
must he rendered passable. The rich man in hell, 
praying, in meel^ness, and humility, that Lazarus, the 
beggar, might be permitted to approach and, with 
even a single drop of water, cool his parching tongue ; 
asking, in kind consideration for the brethren whom 
he had left on earth, that if Lazarus could not pene- 
trate the dark abode in which he dwelt, at least he 
might be sent to warn them from his unhappy fate. 
This man — subdued, submissive^ and, even in the 
midst of torments, thoughtful of others, was, surely, 
not a fit inmate for a hell ; was certainly not a suita- 
ble companions for fiends and devils. 

Could he but be withdrawn from the associations 
surrounding him, and be brought under the influences 
of the pure and bright, how soon might he be 
elevated and purified, and sent on missions of love 
and mercy, which he evidently had the desire to 
fulfil, if the power had only been granted unto him. 

Can any rational mind, whose conceptions of the 
Divine Father have not been distorted by images 
of terror imprinted upon the mind in childhood, 



81 

accept tlie thouglit, tliat a God of infinite love could 
thus abandon one bowed in humility and repentance ? 
I hesitate not to aver that such belief is impossible. 

The mind which thus conceives of Deity, bows 
not in worship to a kind and loving Father, an infinite 
and perfect God; the object of its adoration is simply 
an Omnipotent Monster. 

Leave this man, wiii his meekness, his penitence 
and his sympathy for others, in a burning hell of end- 
less duration, and you despoil God of all that would 
make Him lovely in the eye of any rational creature. 
But such is not a true conception of Our Father. His 
Love, His Justice, His Mercy, His "Wisdom, His 
Power, all forbid it. His immutable law provides, 
that suffering shall surely follow transgression, but 
His love is displayed in the fact, that the experience 
gained by such suffering teaches us to avoid like 
transgression. His justice would not permit an eter- 
nal punishment to be inflicted for a transitory error. 
His mercy would certainly cause Him to look with 
compassion upon the child who had discovered the 
errors of his life, and acknowledged them in humility. 
His wisdom would prevent a creation so imperfect in 
its structure, that the larger portion must necessarily 
fall into ruin and decay. His power forbids the 
thought, that evil as an eternal, self-existent principle 



82 

should find a habitation in His vast dominions. There- 
fore, I say, the angels could not look 'across this 
apparently "impassable gulf" upon their brethren 
in the home of woe without having their sympathies 
excited, and their energies aroused to discover some 
means by which the sorrowing ones could be rescued 
from their sad condition, and drawn to a home of 
peace, 

Man, in the earth-form, has long sought, and at 
length found means by which his thoughts can be 
conveyed to a point many miles distant, with the 
rapidity of the electric flash. Even now he is en- 
gaged in a noble effort to throw a thought-conductor 
across the great gulf of the Atlantic ; and shall Angels^ 
in their work of love, fall back in despair before diffi- 
culties with which man, urged by the force of cupidity, 
successfully grapples? No. The power of love is 
greater than the power of avarice. The desire of the 
Angel to rescue a brother from suffering would excite 
him to at least as great an intellectual effort as that 
made by man to increase his hoards of coin ; — conse- 
quently, the instrument was finally discovered by which 
the bright inhabitants of the spheres of love and 
wisdom could reach the benighted spirits who dwelt 
in an atmosphere too gross for them to penetrate. 

Looking upon the earth, (whence both the Angel 



83 

and tlie unliappy spirit had passed,) tliat earth which 
had been their common home, the Angels saw the 
aspirations of men and women, who, wearying of the 
artificiality of their material surroundings, looked 
upward with earnest prayer for light from the Divine. 
This aspu-ation of the human soul was the first link of 
the heavenly telegraph, which was to connect the dis- 
tant shores of that once impassable gulf with those 
who were dwellers in the inner temple of the Most 
High. Still the electric-chain was not complete. 
Man was elevated, his affections were purified, his 
intellectual faculties were expanded, but the poor 
sinner : he who had in ignorance and vice and crime 
passed to the immortal land, was yet beyond the reach 
of angelic influences, until man, by his association 
with the Angels, had his sympathies for these suf- 
ferers so aroused, that they, by the power of that sym- 
pathy, were drawn to earth, seeking the consolation 
and comfort which was denied them in the abode of 
darkness. Then was the electric cord complete. 

Find a human mind looking upward in earnest 
aspirations for truth, joined to a warm and loving 
heart, and blending in unison with a trusting, God- 
relying soul, and the " Grulf " that was impassable no 
longer asserts its power. Intellect — that bright ema- 
nation from the Infinite One — when lit by the fires of 



84 

tinselfisli love, can sweep before it all tlie barriers that 
oppose its progress. 

Thus, it will be seen, that while man, as we before 
said, had been making the effort to stretch his thougJiU 
conductor across the great gulf of the Atlantic, his 
more advanced brother, the Angel, has successfully 
accomplished his mightier design, — that of bridging 
the "impassable gulf" which Dives saw, and Abra- 
ham knew not could be crossed. 

And this is the'work called Spiritualism ! It brings 
the man into communion with the Angel; expanding 
his mind, and purifying his heart; it draws the 
demon into the presence of his brother-man, thereby 
implanting hope and love in that breast which had 
only held hatred and despair. Let the skeptic, 
besotted by vice, bound by bigotry, benumbed by 
superstition, or blinded by prejudice, scoff, sneer or 
cavil as he may — the G-reat Father looks on this work 
with an approving eye, and Archangels shout for joy 
when they behold the certain union of all (xod's chil- 
dren in one common brotherhood. 

The Demon — the Man — and the Angel — all, chil- 
dren of one common Father, separated by a no longer 
impassable gulf, but linked in one infinite chain, the 
one above drawing up the one below until all are 
united in one harmonious band, circling forever around 



85 

that Great Centre, the Source of all life, whence they 
sprang. 

Contrast this picture with the discordant work of 
Sectarianism, and how brightly gleams the one against 
the dark and gloomy shadows of the other. Here, 
we see the All- Wise, the Omnipotent, the Ever- 
Loving Father; there, we have presented to us a 
Being — Variable, Vindictive and Vengeful. 

Man has now reached a point in his progressive 
career, where he needs a more perfect God than Sec- 
tarianism has offered him. The time has passed when 
the hireling priest may paint a monster or a fiend, and 
hold the picture up for the blind adoration of his fol- 
lowers. 

The artist will find critics carefully scrutinizing his 
work; the colors must be blended with more skill; 
the dark masses fill too much of the canvas ; the speck 
of light which glimmers in the back-ground is too 
much obscured by the sulphurous smoke, and lurid 
flames which ascend, with such volume, in this mas- 
ter-piece of Sectarian Art. This picture of the Infi- 
nite One will no longer satisfy the human soul. The 
time has come when this imperfect God must be laid 
to rest with the Gods-Many of the past, in the sepul- 
chre of oblivion. 

The soul of man, filled with adoration, unmingled 
8 



86 

with fear, will tJien look upward to a Father — infinite 
in love— infinite in wisdom and infinite in power. No 
vain terrors to paralyze his onward steps ; no dread of 
wrathful frowns and withering curses, if perchance he 
err; no gulf of flame in which to plunge, should one 
misstep occur; but ever, in his upward glance the 
bright smiles of Angel-countenances shall meet his 
view, the sweet tones of Angel-voices shall cheer his 
heart, and the out-stretched hands of Angel-friends 
shall guide him in his path. 



87 



CHAPTER YIII. 

This new unfolding, now termed Spiritualism, which 
will be known as the Divine Philosophy, unfolds 
to man a higher destiny, a nobler life, a more beaute- 
ous existence, than has been even dreamed of in 
the past. The gates of Paradise open wide at its 
appro-ach ; the portals of the Infernal Hells close 
forever at its command. 

By the light of this Divine Philosophy, man 
will be enabled to trace his steps from the days 
when, according to the ancient record, he and the 
partner of his joys were dwellers in the beauteous 
garden of Eden. Monarch over all that met his 
gaze; having dominion given him over the fishes 
of the sea, over the fowls of the air, and over all the 
earth; Power was liberally bestowed; but Wisdom 
was denied him. The tree of knowledge was planted 
in the midst of this Paridisean home, and, with 



88 

its luscious fruit hanging within his easy reach, 
man was forbidden to partake under penalty of 
gudden death in the day when his desire for wisdom 
should induce him to transgress this tantalizing 
command. 

But was that penalty enforced? No. Prompted 
by the gentle, loving one, whom the Father had 
placed at his side, he ate of that fruit which, the 
record tells us, was denied him; and what was the 
result? He did not die; he still lived; and his eyes, 
which had been blinded by ignorance, were now 
opened. He saw that the mere cultivation of a gar- 
den gave not exercise to the faculties which had been 
bestowed on him. He saw the nakedness of his con- 
dition. Appointed ruler over the beasts of the field, 
and over the fowls of the air, without knoioledge he 
was but a superior animal; higher in degree, but par- 
taking only of the nature of those below him. 

This condition no longer gave him content. That 
bliss, which was the child of ignorance, was no longer 
his. That happy estate, of which poets sing and 
theologians preach, was no more to be enjoyed. A 
wider field, a broader world beyond, invited his 
labors ; and the Angel of Progress drove him forth 
from the narrow confines of his garden-home, and 
placed the flaming Sword of Aspiration afc the door, to 



prevent his return. Sorrowing these new-born chil- 
dren of the Infinite One went on their way. Beyond 
the boundaries of their fruitful home the earth looked 
sterile; the flowers sprang not in rich profusion from 
the verdant sward; the fruits hung not in luscious 
ripeness, falling at their touch. The days of ease had 
passed. The fiat had gone forth : — "In the sweat of 
thy face shalt thou eat bread, till thou return unto the 
ground." This seemed to them a bitter sentence. 
Grladly would they have returned to the garden of 
luxurious repose, and dreamed away that life which 
now had action as its purpose. 

In the path, which knowledge had opened before 
man, lay many obstacles to obstruct his passage, and, 
faint and weary with the struggle, sometimes he would 
feel ready to abandon the effort and sink in despair be- 
fore the mighty task which seemed beyond his strength ; 
but in his hours of sadness the gentle tones of the 
dear one who accompanied him in this rugged path fell 
sweetly on his ear; the soothing influence of her ten- 
der love gave comfort to his heart, the thought, that 
she too would enjoy the fruits of his labor infused new 
life into his sinking soul, and with renewed energy he 
would recommence those efforts which were destined, 
eventually, to mould all matter into forms of use and 

beauty, and develop all those dormant faculties of the 
8* 



90 

soul whicli, when aroused and brought into activity, 
awakened and unfolded, would ultimate in the Angel- 
ic-Spirit. 

As time rolled on, the earth, which had at first 
seemed sterile, began to blossom under the culture of 
his hand. The food which was the product of his 
labor was sweetened by the toil that brought it forth ; 
the sympathy and love of his beauteous helpmate were 
augmented by the sight of his. unceasing efforts; and 
confidence in his own powers grew by his successful 
endeavors to provide for, and protect the one who was 
the object of his love and care. 

'Twas thus, Man first learned the power which the 
Father had bestowed upon him. Had he remained 
in the beauteous garden, surrounded by all that could 
gratify the sight or give pleasure to the other senses, 
his energies would never have been awakened. He 
would have lived a simple cultivator of the soil ; tend- 
ing and watching the growth of plants and flowers ; or 
he would have sunk into indolence and apathy, wait- 
ing for the eai'th to put forth her fruits so that he 
might supply his needs by merely reaching out his 
hand. Now, he found himself the master of faculties 
of which, in his hours of ease he had not even 
«h'eamed. 

The sterility of the earth had brought into action 



91 

that portion of the brain which directed the intelligent 
culture of the soil, and thence sprang all the agricul- 
tural science of to-day. 

The rude blasts of winter came and drove him to 
seek shelter for himself and those he loved. Caverns 
and forests were homes suited to the beasts who had 
but instinct to guide them in their choice, but man, 
now feeling and asserting his superiority to the 
animal, was not content to share with the lower 
creation the rude shelter with which nature had pro- 
vided them. 

His reason, now ui*ged into activity, led him to 
gather the boughs and branches of the forest trees. 
and by planting some upright in the ground, weaving 
others around, and above them, the first house for 
the habitation of the human race was erected. 

Thence sprang every beautiful structure that now 
adorns the world; every magnificent temple of art; 
every gorgeous Cathedral, with classic dome and 
graceful spire ; every beloved home, around which 
cluster the holiest afiections of the human heart. 

Here was another result of man's transgression. 
Had he not eaten the forbidden fruit, of the ancient 
allegory, the trees which served as shelter to the 
fowls, or the caverns in which the beasts sought 
refuge, would have served him for repose; his faculties 



92 

would have lain dormant, because they would not 
have been awakened by necessity. 

In the garden of Paradise, where the air was 
ever balmy, and cold and frost were unknown, cloth- 
ing was not needed; and, like the savages who now 
dwell on some portions of our globe, the progenitors 
of the human race had lived in a state of absolute 
nudity ; but, after partaking of the fruit of the tree 
of knowledge, their eyes were opened and they saw 
that they were naked, and they were ashamed ; and 
the fig tree was despoiled of its leaves to make for 
them aprons. 

Had this garden of ease, with its mild and balmy 
atmosphere, forever been their home, the apron of 
fig leaves would still have been sufficient for their 
needs ; but now more elaborate forms of dress were 
required, and the denizens of the forest were slain, 
that their skins might be converted into clothing. 

Adam was yet monarch over the beasts of the 
field, and the fowls of the air, and over all the earth. 
His supremacy, however, had to be maintained by 
the exercise of the faculties with which he had been 
endowed. His empire was not to be preserved with- 
out energetic effort; his wants increased daily, and 
could only be supplied by the constant exercise of his 
mental and physical powers. That which at first 



93 

was intended merely to cover our first parents, or to 
protect them from the keen blasts of winter, at length 
became a means of adornment, and added dignity 
and grace to the once naked form. 

The simple fig leaf — the undressed skin of the 
animal, which were the initial articles of human 
clothing, have given place to the many beautiful pro- 
ductions of art which are now interchanged among 
the nations of the earth. 

The silk, glistening in resplendent hues ; the deli- 
cate fabrics which come from the hand of the weaver 
of laces; the softly tanned leather, which protects 
the foot; the woolen cloths; the cambrics; the 
beauteous ribbons; the fairy-like head gear; the 
thousand and one adornments of the human form, 
which give employment to millions, and bring into 
active exercise the countless fibres of the human 
brain, would not have been, if man had not partaken 
of that fruit which gave knowledge to the world. 

All these powers of the mind must have lain 
dormant, had not necessity first called them into 
action. 

As man increased and multiplied, and spread 
abroad over the face of the earth, he grew clannish ; 
selfish interests sprang up ; the welfare of his brother 
became a secondary consideration; the feeling of 



94 

isolation grew strong npon him. The thought came 
to his mind: "I will supply the wants of my own 
household, and all others must do the same for them- 
selves. If Grod has given me superior power, or 
strength, he surely intended that I should use it for 
my own good. He would not have bestowed upon 
me these gifts had T not been more worthy than my 
brother, therefore, I will use that which has been 
freely given, and enslave him who has not power 
to resist my will." Thus arbitrary governments 
were formed, or rather grew; might assumed right, 
and the weak and helpless became the victims of the 
strong and powerful. 

But man's nature was now awakened. As cen- 
turies rolled on, the many said: "We must combine 
our force, and then we will more than equal those 
who have oppressed us; by concerted action we can 
overthrow the tyrants who have ruled us for their 
own selfish aggrandizement, and we will thus regain 
our rights, and assume the equal position to which, 
as children of the one Great Father, we are entitled." 
Then from the human mind came gradually forth the 
representative or republican system, which now gives 
freedom of thought, freedom of investigation, and 
freedom of expression to many millions of the human 
family. 



95 

Having reached this oondition of freedom, man 
has not been at rest. The mind, once awakened to 
a sense of its power, has never ceased to expand. 
One new thought but forms a link with another 
above or beyond ; and man, who went forth from his 
Paradisean home, scarce knowing how to draw from 
the earth the sustenance which his body required; 
scarce knowing how to provide for himself a shelter, 
or even clothing for his form, has now, through the 
power of his unfolded intellect, become master, no^ 
only of the beasts of the field and the fowls of th< 
air, but even the elements are his servants ; paying 
reverence to his will, doing obediently his work, and 
growing, daily, more subservient to his command. 

Man, who then walked forth upon the earth seeing 
only barrenness and sterility, now looks, by the eye 
of science, beneath the surface; there he sees the 
unsightly ore, to the untutored mind a simple lump 
of clay; he finds emJieiJied rich veins of dark hued 
minerals ! Streams of water flow freely at his feet ; 
and he who, in his days of allegorical innocence and 
bliss, knew naught of the mighty forces which the 
earth contained, now^ by the power of his unfolded 
intellect, combines the Iron, and the Coal, and the 
Water, and the Mighty Engine stands before him, to 
do his bidding; fleeing like the winds at his com- 



96 

mand; carrying his heavy burdens, and swiftly 
hurrying to and fro to minister to his wants. 

In his days of ignorance, naked, feeble and 
impotent ; now, he calls upon the earth and the air, 
the waters and the fire ; he speaks to the lightning, 
and they all hasten at the sound of his voice. 

Man hath not fallen. Oh no ! Error hath no 
place within the works of the Infinite. He saw the 
end from the beginning. He hath done all things 
well. 



m 



CHAPTER IX. 

And when it is asked — "What is man, or the attri- 
butes of man, that Grod should be mindful of him?" — 
We answer: 

Man is the master-piece of the Divine Artificer, 
the most perfect work of His hand. Man contains 
within himself all the essences, all the elements that 
are found in the material world, all the principles that 
give life and intelligence to animal nature. Man 
combines the animal, the vegetable, and the mineral 
in his physical form ; the affectional, the intellectual, 
and the spiritual in his mental structure. He is the 
epitome of all above, below, beyond himself. The 
animal, the vegetable, and the mineral kingdoms lay 
their treasures before him, and he partakes freely 
thereof to give strength and vitality to his physical 
structure. The realms above and beyond him send 
their countless myriads of disembodied intelligences to 



gi 'e thouglit to his mind ; to awaken the sympathies 
of ^is heart, and to unfold the interior perceptions of 
his spirit. 

Such is man — ^the child of an Omnipotent Father; 
formed in His image, partaking of His nature ; con- 
centrating within himself the material, the intellectual 
and the spiritual ; commencing Kfe the helpless infant, 
growing in physical strength and beauty, gathering 
in knowledge, which is power, expanding and unfold- 
ing throughout the endless ages, he ever becomes 
more and more like unto Him, who gave him being. 

Man is a direct emanation from God. His physical 
form is the ultimate point of refinement to which mat- 
ter can aspire. His spirit is of the Divine Essence; 
a spark thrown off from the brilliant Central Sun; -\, 
scintillation from the Soul Divine. From all nature 
he gathers in that which gives vitality to his physical 
and mental structure. The atmosphere is filled with 
the essences which give strength and force to his 
body ; the inspirations from the spirit-land are ever 
adding brilliancy and beauty to his intellect ; while 
the associations of the earth-life bring into active exer- 
cise the sympathies and affections of the heart. 

Thus man derives that sustenance which he needs. 
All nature ii^ tributary to his wants. There is no 
department of the Universe but is intended for his 



99 

use, therefore lie has heen endowed with capacities 
which enable him to appropriate and apply to his ser- 
vice all the forces, and elements contained in the 
boundless domain. 

The mind is the machinery through which each 
individual spirit gives expression to its thought; 
makes manifest to the world its desires. Each mind, 
710 matter how seemingly defective, contains every 
faculty ichich God has implanted in any other mind. 

The germ is perfect; the soil upon which it falls 
may be uncongenial ; may not be reached by the dews 
or sunshine necessary to give strength and beauty to 
the plant; its growth may therefore be sickly and 
immature, but, as we have said, it contains all the 
elements which, under other influences and conditions, 
will unfold it in beauty and perfectness. 

In the earth-life circumstances surround the indi- 
vidual which tend to stimulate one portion of his 
nature, and leave inert and listless other faculties which 
he possesses, but which are not apparent, because 
no sufficient motive has aroused them into action. 
But man's earth-life is but as a speck upon the great 
ocean of eternity ; as he parses onward throughout the 
endless ages, one power after another is brought into 
exercise by the new fields of thought and labor which 
open before him; and the mind which, on earth, 



100 

seemed so defective, so imperfect in its structnre, 
grows in strength and beanty; ever unfolding new 
capacities as it rises from one plane or condition to 
another more elevated and comprehensive. 

Thus the man whose earth-life has commenced 
amid poverty and hardship, continued in ignorance, 
and ended in obscurity, manifests none of the glorious 
attributes with which he has been so richly endowed. 
This man, dull, ignorant, and gross as he may appear 
to the more cultivated and refined, possesses every 
mental faculty and power which shines so brightly in 
his more advanced brother. Circumstances have not 
unfolded these powers, therefore they have lain dor- 
mant while his physical strength has been developed 
in the effort to procure bread for himself, and those 
dependent on his care ; but when the material body 
and its wants are laid aside, the aspirations of the 
soul lead to other and higher associations, new wants 
are felt, and the latent powers of the mind are 
awakened to comprehend and enjoy the more elevated 
conditions by which the man is surrounded. 

The Poet, the Painter, the Philosopher, all, owe 
their eminence in the particular sphere in which they 
move, to the undue exercise of a portion of their 
faculties at the expense of the harmonious develop- 
ment of the whole nature. Thus it is, that the most 



101 

exalted of earth's children have almost invariably 
exhibited defects which materially marred the perfect 
beauty of the entire character. But this condition 
does not continue in the world beyond. The Poet, 
who gave his sweet strains to the world and sought 
recompense in gold or fame, finds, in the home of 
love, a higher motive, a holier purpose for which to 
pour forth the effusions of his soul. The love which 
is free from all selfish taint, which springs spontane- 
ously from the heart, and flows in gushing streams 
toward all the children of the Infinite One, that pure, 
angelic love will awaken a nobler song, a loftier 
strain than ere the greed of wealth, or lust of fame 
could give, and will draw around the Poet associa- 
tions that will bring into active exercise the faculties 
that have been repressed by the meaner aims which 
were the limits of his earthly ambition. He will find 
that, beautiful as is the poetic expression of thought- 
sublime, the immortal spirit will not rest content with 
the laurels to be gained in this one field of mental 
labor; but will reach forth all its varied powers to 
gather knowledge and happiness from every source ; 
to draw in from every department of nature that sus- 
tenance which will give strength and vitality to his 
entire being. No longer content to be a mere Poet 

he will a^spire to be a man ; and this aspiration will 
9* 



102 

give activity to each latent faculty of the mind, until 
all become harmoniously unfolded, and the master- 
piece of the Father stands revealed in His unblemished 
chHd. 

So with the Painter — when he no longer works for 
the applause of men; feeding his heart upon the 
words of praise which fall from human lips ; when his 
spirit soars into realms where a purer atmosphere will 
impart to the nobler impulses of his soul the breath of 
life, then he too will find that, to be a Painter, no 
matter how skillful, how perfect may be his power of 
delineation, is not to be, all that Grod designed him, 
is not to fulfil the destiny that awaits him ; and with 
eager hope will he press onward, to gather in the rich 
treasures which he knew not of when the pallet and 
the brush were the only instruments of his power. 

The Philosopher will find, that wide as is the range 
of his mental perceptions, still something more than 
mere philosophy is required from one who has been 
endowed with many powers. He will find, that he 
too possesses the genius of the Poet; the skill of 
the Painter; the subtlety of the Chemist; the elo- 
quence of the Orator ; the melody of the Musician ; 
the deep heart-felt sympathy of the Philanthropist. 

These, together with all the other varied powers 
displayed by individuals, and many faculties unknown 



103 

to man, becaiise not brought into use by tbe necessi- 
ties of bis earth-life, are tJie inheritance of every 
human creature. No child of the Grreat Father has 
been overlooked in the distribution of good gifts. 
Each has received all that has been given to another. 
We start from different points: are surrounded by- 
different influences on our road to the eternal home ; 
present different aspects, and exhibit different combi- 
nations of force and feebleness while on our journey ; 
but, eventually, the incidents of the travel, the diffi- 
culties to be overcome, and the pleasures to be 
enjoyed arouse all the latent faculties of the mind, 
and when the life of earth has been fulfilled, and the 
boundless fields of the eternal world have been explored, 
then will be seen the symmetry and beauty of the 
human structure. 

This noble work of the Divine Artificer, which He 
pronounced good when in the germ, will be recognized 
as perfect when in the fullness of its fruition. 

No. — Man did not fall from a high and holy estate 
to one of death and degradation. Since his creation 
by the Master-Hand his career has ever been progres- 
sive; growing in knowledge, and wisdom, and power; 
and ever in his onward march will he unfold nobler 
capacities, and higher aspirations, until having eaten 
of the tree of life, he will indeed become like unto his 



104 

great prototype— lie will indeed be recognized as the 
true image of Ms Divine Father. 

This is the picture which the Divine Philosophx, 
now called Spiritualism, has opened before me; 
in striking contrast to the gloomy, discordant, and 
irrational view of that Theology, which presents the 
Deity as an Angry, Vindictive and Variable Being. 
The one picture glowing with the radiant tints of the 
Divine Love and V^isdom ; the other, a gloomy mass 
of hideous fancies, with" but one bright spot to illume 
its darkened surface. 

In the preceding portion of this little volume I have 
related the mode in which my investigations were 
conducted ; a few of the many manifestations of power 
and intelligence which demonstrated to me the pres- 
ence of invisible agents; and, in conclusion, I have 
presented the beautiful, the rational, the sublime view 
of man, and his relations to the G-reat Father, which 
has been opened to me through the medium of 
Spiritualism; and thus I have told you ''HOW 
AND WHY I BECAME A SPIRITUALIST." 



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